Come Away With Me: A Series of One Shots
by Mommyzilla
Summary: An AH/AU series of one shots featuring Jason Morgan and Elizabeth Webber.
1. Chapter 1

Hi All! I have decided to do a one shot series. Each update will be a snapshot into the lives of the Jason and Elizabeth you are meeting here. Every update will be a stand alone story, but will also move the story of the couple along. The updates will most often come around a holiday, but not always. I'm not sure how many one shots will be in this series, but I kind of like that. This was inspired by two writers CMJavaGirl's Unintentional Holiday series over at the The No Name, and EpsiLone's Collected Shots here on FF. I hope some of you will come along on this journey with me, traveling is more fun with a friend.

Thanks to Liason102 for the edit.

I have no idea where this series is going so I'm going to rate it M, although most chapters will not need it.

ABC owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

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><p>Be My Valentine<p>

"Hey Liz!" Emily said sliding into the booth at Eli's. She'd had a hankering for ribs and luckily her best friend was able to meet her for dinner.

"Hi, thanks for calling. I needed to get out of the house." Elizabeth had been grading papers and her eyes were swimming. Her ninth graders had taken to writing a paper on Valentine's Day with gusto. The stories ranged from heart breaking to hilarious.

"The fact that it's Friday night and you are grading papers is just wrong." Emily grinned. "You should be out painting the town red."

"Um, hello you don't have a date either." Elizabeth pointed out.

"I have a boyfriend, who is working tonight." Emily said arching a brow. Elizabeth was too much everything to be sitting home alone most nights. Too smart, pretty, funny, caring and Emily could go on and on. "You need a boyfriend, or at least a date. Valentine's Day is in a few days, what do you have lined up?"

"I don't celebrate Valentine's Day, you know that." Elizabeth said making a show of looking at the menu.

"You don't have to celebrate it, but you should get out of the house." Emily would push a bit here. "You can hang out with Dante and me."

Elizabeth burst out laughing at that. "Your boyfriend would shoot me with his side arm. He is probably the most romantic man I've ever met and I know he has something amazing planned for the fourteenth. Something that doesn't involve a third wheel." Actually Dante was going to pop the question. Elizabeth knew because he had wanted a woman's opinion on the ring he was slipping on her best friend's hand. "Before you offer, no I don't want to get fixed up with one of his friends."

"Jesse is cute." Emily didn't want Elizabeth fixed up with one of her friends. She wanted her best friend fixed up with her big brother Jason. The two would be perfect together, but at the moment they were firmly in the friend zone.

"Jesse was dating Maxie, which shows he has poor taste." Elizabeth and the blonde woman did not get along. "Cooper also was interested in Maxie so he is out as well. And don't even mention that Spencer guy. He's just too self-absorbed for my taste. The one conversation I had with him, he talked non-stop about himself." Elizabeth had gone to a charity baseball game in which the police department was playing against the hospital staff. Lucky had cornered her to talk about how wonderful it was to be him.

"I would never set you up with Lucky. I wouldn't set anyone I want to keep as a friend with that jerk." Emily couldn't stand Dante's partner either. "I just don't want you home alone. Especially not on that night."

"I'll be fine." Elizabeth assured her friend. Every year it got a little easier to deal with. "What are you getting?"

"The ribs." Emily said tossing down her menu and looking around for their server. "I'm not giving up on you meeting a great guy. What do you want in a guy anyway?" Emily had never asked that before.

"I want someone who sees me. All the sides of me. Someone I can talk to, and who talks to me. I want a friend and a lover. I just want someone who gets me. They don't have to be a doctor or a police officer. They just have to be mine. It's hard to find that though. Guys don't generally see me as anything other than a good friend or a little sister. I'm the one they come to when they want help getting the pretty girls. I know a lot of guys Emily, but I don't think any of them really know me." Jason was proof of that. He knew her better than any other man ever had, and she felt he didn't see her either.

Two years they'd known one another and they were nothing more than good friends. She thought he was an amazing man. Smart, funny, compassionate, and kind. He was what she wanted in a life partner, but she had no idea of how to get him to see her as anything more than his friend.

"You're pretty." Emily instantly protested. "Lots of guys notice you."

"Uh-huh." The petite brunette said. "I just don't think I'm cute out for a grand romance." Elizabeth shrugged. "I don't inspire guys to poetry." She said grinning.

Emily grinned too. Dante had written her a poem last year for Valentine's Day. It had brought tears to her eyes. "Your grand romance is out there Liz. We just have to find it."

"Well we aren't going to find it this year." Elizabeth told her best friend. "So let it go."

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><p>The two women had a great meal filled with a lot of laughter. They split the check and headed home. Neither one of them was aware that sitting in the booth behind them was none other than Emily's older brother Jason Morgan.<p>

He had wanted to get out of the house for a bit, so he went for a bike ride. When he got hungry he decided on ribs. He had arrived before both ladies, and he parked his bike in the back so as to announce his presence. The booth he was in was the furthest from the door and the one he always occupied. He liked it because it kept him from getting hit on by women, when all he wanted was to eat in peace.

Tonight he had gotten a lot more than dinner. He had gotten a little bit of insight into Elizabeth. From the minute he met her, he'd been interested in possibly going out. But she was vastly different from the women he normally attracted. She was quiet, a bit on the shy side, and really smart. He found himself a bit intimidated because she wasn't impressed by his money or status. He figured she would end up dating one of the doctors at the hospital, or maybe one of Dante's friends. But that hadn't happened, instead she hadn't dated anyone.

Johnny had told him to stop stalling and just ask Liz out already. His friend had pointed out that Valentine's Day was the perfect opportunity to make a move. Do something big to get Elizabeth's attention, to make her see him as more than her friend. Which was the problem. Jason sucked at romance. So if he was going to do this, he was going to need some help. Throwing money on the table he headed off to get some.

"Come in." Sonny said opening the door to his business partner and best friend.

"Thanks. I kinda need some help." Jason said trying to fight off a blush.

"Sure." Sonny said looking at the younger man. Jason seemed uncertain, an emotion not normally associated with the enforcer. This probably wasn't a work issue. The territory was quiet at the moment. "What's up?"

Jason shrugged out of his jacket before sitting in the plush leather chair. "We're alone right?" The last thing he wanted was Carly overhearing this. She'd insist on helping. She didn't do subtle and while Jason wanted to make a statement with whatever he decided to do, he wanted to make a statement that was right for Elizabeth.

"Yeah, Carly and Michael are with Bobbie." Sonny said getting comfortable.

"I want to do something for Elizabeth. For Valentine's." Jason told his partner. "Romance isn't my strong suit."

Sonny smiled wide enough to pop out his dimples. "Well, Elizabeth doesn't strike me as the type of woman who would want you to be anything other than yourself." Which was just what Jason needed. A woman who appreciated him just as he was.

His friend was really laid back, and it took work to get to know him. Because of his job, women often expected him to want to go out a lot to fancy restaurants and clubs. That he would buy them things constantly or take them places. Jason wasn't flashy so most of the time he ended up frustrated with the women he went out with. The women this lifestyle generally attracted. From what Sonny knew about her Elizabeth was perfect for him.

"She's never expected me to fit in a preconceived mold of what a guy in our life should be like." Jason said smiling some. "She knows that I'm not my job."

Sonny nodded. "That's a great gift. I think if you sit down and concentrate you will know what to do. You know what she likes right? What her favorite things to do are?"

"Yeah." Jason grinned. Elizabeth's favorite thing to do was ride his bike. He offered her rides whenever he had time. They usually ended up at nowhere or Vista Pointe where they would talk. For this he wanted to step away from the bike and show her that he saw her. All of her. The grin turned into a smile.

"Figure it out?" Sonny guessed that he had.

"I have, now I just have to figure out how to pull it off." Jason's brain was already in planning mode. "I need to make some calls."

"Do I get a hint?" Sonny asked laughing.

"Nope." Jason smiled wide. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." The older man said waving his friend away. "Good luck."

* * *

><p>"We meet again." Emily said walking into Kelly's. Dinner at Eli's had been a few days ago.<p>

"So we do." Elizabeth had needed some hot chocolate, and she was all out at home.

"Kinda late for you to be out on a school night." Emily joked, it wasn't even seven yet.

"Do you know what Dante is doing for Valentine's Day yet?" Elizabeth asked with a wicked grin. The holiday was two days away.

"No." Emily pouted. "It's seriously driving me crazy. I know it will be good, and the anticipation is killing me. All I know it that we are leaving Port Charles. He's even packing for me." Emily shared. How wonderful was it to have man like that?

"Well I have plans for the night too." Elizabeth told her friend.

"A date?" Emily's eyes danced. "With who?"

"No, not a date." Elizabeth laughed. "I got invited to a private art showing over at the Mercer Gallery. I'm on their mailing list because I bought that abstract last summer." Art was a passion of hers. She couldn't draw a straight line with a level, but she enjoyed looking at artwork of all different styles. "The opening is on Valentine's Night. So I will not be home alone."

"Good." Emily relaxed some, she really had been worried about her friend sitting home alone. "Who's the artist?"

"No clue. The theme of the evening is 'Come Be Romanced' I think it may be more than one person. Sounds interesting and mysterious. I'm going out tomorrow after school is out to get a dress." She would splurge a bit on something nice. She was worth it.

"What color?" Emily said sipping her coffee.

"I don't know. Red is expected so I will avoid that." That was only one reason she would be skipping that color. Emily was good enough not to make a comment. "I'm thinking green."

"You look good in green." Emily commented. The door opened and Jason walked in. "Hey come join us." Any opportunity to get him near Elizabeth should not be missed.

"Do you mind?" Jason asked Elizabeth.

"Not at all. I'll pout if you sit somewhere else." Elizabeth answered smiling.

"Thanks." Jason smiled back taking a seat. "What are you ladies up too?"

"Discussing Valentine's Day." Emily grinned at her brother. "Do you have plans?"

"Yeah." Jason thought Elizabeth looked a bit sad at that. "You two?"

"I'll be with Dante. Do you know what he has planned?" Emily thought her brother might.

"Yes, and I'm not telling you." Jason said laughing. "What about you?" He said turning to Elizabeth.

"Art show." She shrugged. It wasn't surprising Jason had a date. She just wasn't aware he was seeing anyone.

"That should be fun." He commented.

"Should be. I'll let you two talk." Elizabeth said standing. Right now home and her fuzzy slippers sounded good. She would spend the rest of the night trying not to think about Jason and some other woman. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

"Bye." Emily said smiling and when her friend left she turned to look at her brother. He was hopeless. "So what bimbette are you taking out on Valentine's Day?"

Jason just laughed at his sister. "Be nice."

"Jason the women you date have IQ's smaller than their bra sizes. It's time you grow up and get someone worthy of you." Emily lectured. "Someone grandmother would like to invite to tea." Like she did Elizabeth.

"An art showing is an odd way to spend the most romantic night of the year." Jason steered the conversation back to Elizabeth. There was something he needed to know.

"Elizabeth doesn't celebrate Valentine's Day, so this is perfect for her. Maybe she'll even meet someone interesting." Emily threw in to see if she got a reaction from her brother. When he didn't even blink she wanted to growl in frustration.

"Why not?" Jason asked trying to not appear eager for the information.

Emily knew that Elizabeth had been run by the guys. Anyone who spent time with them had a background check done. What Emily didn't know was how extensive it was, but why her friend didn't celebrate the holiday would be in there. She was guessing Jason hadn't read the file, or he would know why. "She was hurt pretty badly a few years back." Seven to be precise. Emily said keeping it vague. "So she doesn't focus much on the day." She looked at the clock. "I have to go, Dante's shift ends in fifteen minutes. Behave yourself." Emily gave him a kiss and rushed out the door.

Alone at the table Jason pulled out his phone, he almost dialed Francis and asked for the background report. At the last minute he stopped. He would wait for her to tell him, if she never did he would have to be content with that.

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><p>Two nights later Jason was taking one final look at his gift to Elizabeth. He was hoping that this night would be the beginning of something more for them. He planned every detail of the next few hours and now he had to wait and see if she liked it. If what he was feeling was in any way reciprocated by the beautiful woman who had found her way into his heart. He was laying it all on the line with this gesture, and that was equal parts terrifying and freeing.<p>

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><p>Valentine's night was on a Friday this year, so Elizabeth didn't have to make it a short night. She was looking forward to seeing the artistic displays, drinking some champagne, and if the stars were aligned just right maybe she would meet someone interesting. First she needed to stop her overactive imagination from conjuring up images of Jason with some stacked blonde.<p>

Looking at herself in the mirror she liked what she saw. She didn't have a reason to really get dressed up much these days so tonight she had gone all out. A dark green lace pencil dress, and nude heels. She felt sophisticated and pretty. The buzzer rang signaling that her cab was here, she grabbed her invitation, and headed out.

At the gallery she rang the doorbell, as per the instructions, and waited to be admitted. Peeking through the window she saw the lights were dimmed in the front room. She didn't see anything hanging on the walls, but often this gallery showcased their artists in the larger rooms in the back.

"Ms. Webber, welcome." The gallery owner greeted her. "We have a special showing tonight, and I'm so glad you decided to come see it." She was a romantic at heart, and what Mr. Morgan planned had made her melt. It was like something from one of the novels she read. "Let me take your coat."

"Thank you." Elizabeth could hear soft music floating from inside. "Are there a lot of people here?" The invitation said seven p.m. sharp so she expected to see others here.

"Not at the moment." The gallery owner didn't want to give anything away. "We are doing something unique this evening. Follow the roses." The owner pointed to the floor. "And enjoy."

"Thank you." Elizabeth repeated again. The trail of roses gave off more of a romantic vibe than she was expecting, but it was Valentine's Day and romance was in the show title. Stepping out of the reception area she came into the front room. There on the wall in flowing script were the words.

"_When I look at you I see a woman who is_…"

She followed the flowers and gasped as she walked into the next space. "Smart." Was the word on the wall, underneath there was a picture of her reading a book. She had been reading to a group of preschoolers during a volunteer shift at the library. The Port Charles Gazette had been doing a story on the summer reading program and snapped the image. She remembered that Jason had stopped by, and he walked her home.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves she walked into the next room. "Strong." Was on this wall. The picture was of her and Emily in running gear, grinning at the camera. They had just finished a half marathon to raise money for breast cancer research. After they had gone to the mansion and soaked in the hot tub until they turned into human raisins. Jason had been there that day too, he had been waiting at the finish line.

"Sweet." Was the third word the roses led her too. This picture was of her working the Halloween party in the pediatric ward at General Hospital. She had been dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and handing out candies from her little basket. Leyla had brought in her cairn terrier to play Toto, and get pets from the kids. She had seen Jason before the festivities started, he was responsible for bringing the treats.

Elizabeth had to blink back tears. This was the most amazing thing that she ever had happen to her. The amount of planning and work that went into this display was mind boggling. Just renting the gallery must have cost a pretty penny.

The flowers lead down the hall and she moved forward, wanting to see more. She also felt a little guilty because someone had gone through all this trouble, and the person she was thinking of was Jason. She was hopeless.

"Silly." Had her laughing out loud. Her and Michael Corinthos at his birthday party last year. Carly hired a face painter and Elizabeth had gotten painted as a kitty cat. Michael was puppy. The picture showed the two of them hamming it up for the camera. Jason tried to come to her mind, and she pushed the thought away.

"Sophisticated." Was on one side of the hall that lead to the large back room. Her at last year's nurse's ball. She had sat at the Quartermaine table. Edward flirted with her all night, and Elizabeth had danced with Jason. His asking had surprised her because he didn't dance in public, but she had enjoyed the time spent in his arms. This memory wouldn't go because Jason had been the one to take the picture on the wall.

On the other side of the hall two words were written. "Soft hearted." I it was a picture of her laughing and surrounded by puppies. Francis's dog had the litter last fall, and Elizabeth had been a frequent visitor while the puppies were there. She really wanted one, but her building didn't allow pets. The day the dogs left Jason had found her sitting in the park across the street from the Towers pretending not to cry. He hadn't said anything, just sat with her so she wasn't alone. This picture like the last had been snapped by Jason.

Elizabeth began to wonder if Jason was the one who was waiting in the back room. The room that flickered as if lit by firelight, and had soft music floating from it. While she never would have expected this from him, it was something he was more than capable of doing. He had a lot more depth than most people ever saw.

Biting her lower lip she stepped forward following the trial of roses that ended just past the doorway.

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><p>Standing in the back room, waiting for Elizabeth to arrive was hard on Jason's nerves. It wasn't until the front door opened, and her voice floated back that he realized that this display of his emotions might creep her out. He didn't want to come off as a stalker, but was trying to show her that all the parts of her were beautiful to him. Maybe he had gone too far, if so it was too late now.<p>

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><p>She walked into the room and every single thought in his head vanished. She was stunning. More beautiful than he had ever seen her. He didn't speak right away, because there was another word for her to read first.<p>

Elizabeth smiled wide as soon as she saw Jason. Her heart started beating faster as she took him in is his suit and tie. Looking impossibly handsome, and just a bit nervous. Slowly her eyes drifted from where he was standing to see the last word. On the wall directly behind him. "Sexy." Her sitting on a blanket in the park. It was the Fourth of July, and they were there, along with most of Port Charles, to see the fireworks display. He had called her up and asked if she wanted to go. Being in a crowd that large at night by herself would have scared her a bit. With Jason she had felt safe. With Jason she always felt safe.

"This is amazing." She said her voice think with emotion.

"I was in Eli's, the night you were with Em." He confessed. "I see you Elizabeth. I see you, and you leave me in awe. I needed for you to know that." He had no idea where those words came from, but they were true. "I heard you say you don't celebrate this holiday, and tomorrow I'd like to discuss why. If you are willing. Tonight doesn't have to have a label, but I want to have a chance to celebrate you." He held out his hand, hoping she would take it.

She walked across the room and did just that.

"I have dinner planned. All your favorites, ending with chocolate." Because he saw that side of her as well. "Then I hoped you would dance with me." Jason said leading her to the table set for two.

"I'd love to dance with you." Elizabeth was trying to take all this in. It looked like she was wrong. She was going to have her grand romance after all. When he sat across from her Elizabeth reached for his hand once more. "Jason? Will you be my Valentine?" Tonight would be not only a night they started anew. But it would be the night she did as well.

Jason lifted her hand and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. "I thought you'd never ask."

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><p>Thanks for the reviews, the follows, and the favorites!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

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><p>When Irish Eyes Are Smiling<p>

"Ms. Webber, hello." Reginald said as he opened the front door to the mansion.

"Hi Reginald." Elizabeth greeted the older man as she walked into the house. "How are you?"

"I'm well thank you." The butler really liked Elizabeth. The younger woman didn't come up to the mansion all that often, normally she would go to the gatehouse before Emily moved off the grounds. On the few occasions that she had been here she was always very polite. "Emily is waiting in the parlor with Lila."

"Mrs. Quartermaine is joining us?" Elizabeth hadn't realized that. She looked down at her outfit, blue jeans, a sweater, and sneakers. "I didn't realize that she would be here."

Reginald just nodded as he escorted the younger woman to the front room.

"You're here." Emily came over and hugged her best friend. "Thanks for coming out to help."

"Like I would turn down an opportunity to help plan your wedding." Elizabeth scoffed at her friend.

"Grandmother and I haven't started yet." Emily pulled her friend over to the sofa. "I've got loads of ideas I want to share with the two of you."

"Hello Elizabeth." Lila smiled at the younger woman. Emily spoke often of the young woman and Lila was happy that her granddaughter had such a good friend. "I'm glad you could join us."

"Hello Mrs. Quartermaine." Elizabeth said trying not to fidget. She really wished Em had mentioned her grandmother would be here. Elizabeth would have dressed nicer. She had only ever met Lila once before, and that interaction had been brief. Elizabeth had met Carly for lunch at the Port Charles Grille. Lila had been there when they arrived. Seeing the older woman Carly had gone over to say hi and introduced Elizabeth. During lunch Carly had mentioned coming out to the mansion often to have tea. Emily often talked about that as well. It sounded lovely.

"Have a seat dear." Lila smiled hoping to put their guest at ease. During his last visit with her, a couple of weeks after Valentine's Day, Jason had mentioned that he and Elizabeth were now dating. The light that came into his eyes thrilled Lila, she had been patiently waiting for her grandson to bring Elizabeth to the house ever since. Lila was preparing to start dropping hints when Emily mentioned Elizabeth was helping to plan the wedding. This was the perfect opportunity to get to know one another better.

"Thank you." Elizabeth took a seat next to Emily.

"I'm sorry we haven't had a chance to properly meet before now." Lila started the conversation. "Emily often speaks of you."

"Emily speaks of you as well." Elizabeth said trying not to blush. The truth was that coming to the mansion made her nervous. While none of the Quartermaines she had spent time with, which was only Alan and Monica, were mean they represented serious money, and Elizabeth didn't think she would fit in. So she stayed away. Jason got along with them, but didn't spend much time here either, and she spent most of her free time with him.

"Okay." Emily said looking between the two women. She knew Elizabeth was nervous so getting started would be good. "I want to be a June bride."

"That's a good time frame." Elizabeth commented pulling out her phone. "Father's Day is on the 21st so we should avoid that."

"Father's Day is on the 15th this year." Emily corrected.

"You want to get married this June?" Lila asked a bit surprised.

"Emily that's three months from now. That isn't enough time to put together a wedding as large as this one will be. Plus all the available venues will be booked. I know your family owns the Port Charles hotel, and your cousin's husband owns the Metro Court, but that probably isn't going to help you." Elizabeth knew most wedding spaces were booked a year in advance.

"Actually Dante and I were hoping to get married in the rose garden and have our reception at the arboretum." Emily looked at her grandmother who could make both those things happen. "Dante and I have been dating for four years now, neither one of us wants to wait any longer than this summer to be married. This wedding isn't going to be an over the top affair. AJ did that. He had like seven hundred people at his wedding. Mom got it out of her system. We were thinking one hundred people at the most." Emily further explained.

"The garden is yours." Lila placed her hand over her granddaughter's. "I will need to call about the arboretum, just because I sit on the board does not guarantee you will get what you want." The older woman warned.

"We are open to any Sunday in June, except Father's Day. July will work too." Emily said trying to be flexible since she was setting such a tight schedule.

"If you have an evening reception then what you want will probably be easier to achieve." Lila suggested.

"A formal evening wedding." Emily smiled wide. "That would be amazing."

"As for your plans about a smaller affair, be ready to stand your ground. Both Monica and Edward will push for something bigger." Lila warned. She would help Emily keep things small, but ultimately this was a battle the young doctor would have to fight mostly alone.

"What about the dress? That takes the longest time." Elizabeth wasn't trying to be a downer, but she was being a realist. Her friend wasn't going to shop off the rack, that wasn't how the Quartermaine's did things.

"Chloe said she could make that happen." Emily had already made that call. "Same with the bridal party gowns. You are going to be my maid of honor right?" Emily looked at Elizabeth.

"Of course." Elizabeth was thrilled. "Thank you."

"You're my best friend, I'm not going to ask someone else to stand beside me." Emily bumped shoulders with Liz. "Grandmother Chloe has ideas about a gown for you as well."

"I will call her." Lila hadn't seen her cousin in some time. It would be wonderful to catch up.

"So we need to handle flowers, music, menu, cake, guest list, invitations, and incidentals." Elizabeth thought that was still a very daunting list. "Maybe we should hire a planner?" She suggested.

"Nonsense." Emily said grinning. "The three most amazing women in Port Charles are in this room, we can do this."

"Then we had better get started." Lila said smiling.

"Elizabeth would you take notes?" Emily requested.

"That is why I brought a pad." Elizabeth held up the paper. "Where would you like to start?"

"Food." Emily said pulling a list of her favorite restaurants that did catering.

* * *

><p>The three women worked steadily for an hour making notes about who to contact for what service. Figuring out what items were missing from the list they had, and bringing the event into focus. Elizabeth was going to be working with Carly on the Easter events this year so she was making notes of vendors who would be helpful there as well.<p>

"That's my pager." Emily was on call and had hoped to get through the afternoon without having to go in. The pre-internship program at the hospital was a demanding one, but she loved it. "Let me call the hospital. They probably have a procedure I can sit in the gallery and watch." Emily called in and by her frown it was clear she was leaving. "I have to go in. Maybe we can all meet another day this week."

"If I am not with Carly, or Jason, I'm all yours." Elizabeth offered.

"I'm generally free most evenings." Lila smiled as Emily kissed her cheek before rushing out.

"I'll just clean up the papers and get out of your hair." Elizabeth said quietly.

"If you don't have to rush off, I'd love it if you stayed for tea." Lila offered. "I would like to know you better. Not through Jason or Emily's eyes, but through my own."

Elizabeth couldn't help but smile. "I'd like to get to know you better as well."

"Fantastic. Reginald!" Lila called for the butler.

"Yes ma'am." He appeared quickly.

"Please ask Cook to set up tea service for two." Lila instructed. "The rose tea set please." It was one of Lila's favorites.

"Right away." Reginald left to do just that.

Lila looked over at Elizabeth who had finished stacking Emily's papers. "So Elizabeth tell me about yourself."

"Well, I grew up in Colorado." May as well start at the beginning.

"That is a beautiful state, I've not been in years." Lila used to travel more, and missed it.

"Me either. I moved here for high school. I stayed with my Gram, Audrey Hardy." Elizabeth guessed Lila knew her grandmother.

"I haven't heard that name in years. Audrey is living in California now, correct?" Lila had not been more than a social acquaintance of Steve and Audrey, but Alan and Monica were close with the couple."

"Yes, near my sister Sarah. She is the only one of us who has children, and with Sarah being a doctor my Gram is helping her. Plus the weather is better for her health wise." Elizabeth explained. "My Gram moved my freshman year in college."

"Is that when you met Emily?" Lila wanted to know.

"I met Emily in my junior year, we had the same math class. She was struggling a bit and I offered to tutor her. We hit it right off." Elizabeth smiled remembering that. "It was nice to have a friend. I can be a bit of an introvert, so I wasn't a social butterfly."

"Being an introvert is not something my granddaughter struggles with. She amazes me with how brave she can be." Lila was so very proud of Emily. "Would you mind telling me how you met Jason? He can be stingy with details." Lila said in mock exasperation.

Elizabeth laughed. "Jason can be a man of few words."

Lila could see the same light in Elizabeth that she saw in her grandson. "Here is tea."

"Shall I pour?" Reginald inquired.

"I can if you like." Elizabeth offered.

"Elizabeth will, thank you Reginald." Lila said before he walked out leaving them to it.

"This tea set is beautiful." Elizabeth took in the ornate rose pattern on the china.

"My grandmother left it to me." Lila brought it out for special occasions.

"Milk?" Elizabeth saw the small pitcher.

"Just a splash please. Help yourself to some of the pastries." Lila said doing the same.

"Thank you." Elizabeth got herself set up taking lemon and rock sugar in her tea.

"So I was being nosy, and you were about to satisfy my curiosity." Lila said poking fun at herself.

"Emily introduced us. I was helping her study at the college library one night, math again. It was the last semester before I graduated, and Emily started medical school. Jason came to pick her up. I waved and started walking to my apartment and he called me back." Elizabeth told Lila. "He said it was too dark for me to walk home alone, and told me to get in the car. Told me." Elizabeth repeated.

Lila laughed out loud. "That is very much Jason." Her grandson was a lot like Edward in they tended to give orders when they should make requests. Jason was doing better now, Edward was not. "You got in the car?"

"I did. It was really dark." Elizabeth laughed. "So Emily and I studied together every night for the rest of the semester, and Jason picked us up most nights. It was during spring break that we had our first real conversation. Emily went to Mexico, and I went to the library to support one of my favorite professors who was on a book tour. It late when the event wrapped up, and when I walked out Jason was waiting."

Lila heard the puzzlement. "That surprised you?"

"Yes it did." Elizabeth said smiling softly. "His sister wasn't there, so I didn't expect to see him." Emily had mentioned Elizabeth's plans to her brother.

While Lila knew how big her grandson's heart was, it was not a side he showed to people he didn't know well. "I'm glad he did."

"Me too." Elizabeth said softly.

"So you have a sister Sarah?" Lila would move away from Jason for a bit.

"Yes ma'am. She's a doctor, so is my brother Steven. And my parents." Elizabeth explained.

"Yet you became a teacher?" Lila wondered how hard it was to buck the family trend.

"It's my calling. I love teaching." Elizabeth was proud to be a teacher.

"It's a fortunate soul who can do the thing they love." Lila said smiling. "How did your parents take that news?"

"They were fine with it. I think they were more surprised that Steven and Sarah wanted to be doctors." Elizabeth shrugged. "They didn't expect us to follow in their footsteps. My parents did not hide how much work is involved in what they do."

"Teaching is hard work as well." Lila wouldn't let Elizabeth sell herself short.

"But I love it." Elizabeth repeated.

"Your last name is Webber correct?" Lila asked her guest.

"Yes ma'am." Elizabeth sipped her tea.

"That is Flemish in origin if I'm correct." Lila said giving it some thought. "Genealogy is a hobby of mine. I traced the Morgan name back ten generations, and the Quartermaine name back twelve." She said proudly.

"I don't really know anything about my family history. It would be interesting to find out." Elizabeth would give it some thought.

"I'd be happy to help you." Lila thought it would be a wonderful way for them to spend time together. "There is nothing more delightful than discovering the rogues in your family tree. That is where Jason gets his spirit. The Morgan family is rich with rogues, pirates, and horse thieves." Lila said with a mischievous grin. "Generations of bad boys. Has Jason told you why he is a Morgan and not a Quartermaine?"

Elizabeth began to suspect that Lila was a bit of spitfire. "Yes, he has." They had gone on a long bike ride and were resting when he told her about the accident with AJ that changed his life, and by extension everyone else's. Morgan had been his middle name and he liked it so when he dropped Quartermaine he went with that. It wasn't until later that he learned it was his grandmother's maiden name.

"Would you like to see some pictures of Jason when he was younger?" Lila rarely got to share her memories of her grandson with anyone.

Elizabeth bit her lower lip. She would love to see pictures of Jason as a baby, but wasn't sure she should without his permission. He didn't really like to think about the person he had been. "If you don't mind I will wait until after I discuss it with Jason. I don't mean to give the impression that he is controlling, but I very much respect his feelings on the matter of his past. I think it would be best to wait until he is ready for you to share that with me." Elizabeth explained.

Lila couldn't help but smile at that. Jason had found the perfect place for his heart. "I understand. I'll show you pictures of Emily then. Because an opportunity to embarrass my granddaughter should never be missed."

This time it was Elizabeth who laughed.

* * *

><p>Jason was surprised when Elizabeth asked him to pick her up from the mansion. He had dropped her off hours ago, and she said that Emily was going to drive her home. He parked in the drive and walked around to the terrace. Peeking inside he saw Elizabeth and his grandmother sitting side by side looking at a book. Guilt hit him hard when he realized he should have brought his girl to the mansion before now. While Elizabeth didn't expect a formal introduction his actions did not show how important she was to him. He opened the door and both women looked up. "Hi."<p>

"Jason, come join us." Lila invited. She didn't want him getting away too quickly.

"Hi." Jason said looking at Elizabeth and smiling as he sat next to her.

"Hi." Elizabeth responded smiling back. "Your grandmother was showing me pictures of Emily when she was younger."

"She's going to be thrilled." Jason said with a voice laced with sarcasm. "Some of her haircuts were a bit strange."

"I hadn't realized Emily was so young when the Quartermaine's adopted her." Elizabeth said looking at the smiling baby.

"She was one, I was five, and AJ was nine. Neither me nor my brother quite knew what to do with Emily at first, we wanted a puppy and our parents came home with her. But she quickly grew on us. So we decided to keep her. " Jason grinned. While he didn't talk much about the other Jason, he had wanted to learn more about his siblings as children. He would never have those memories back, but he liked hearing his grandmother talk about those years.

"Would you like for me to send for some coffee for you Jason?" Lila asked her grandson.

"That would be nice. Thank you." Jason always used his manners with his sister, mother, and grandmother. "Did you get much wedding planning done?"

"We made a start, but have a lot more to do since Em wants to get married this June." Elizabeth passed along. She nor Jason noticed Lila watching them. "So we are going to meet as much as possible this month to nail all the details down, and then get moving on them."

"Aren't you helping Carly too?" Jason said frowning.

"Yes. Why are you making that face?" Elizabeth giggled.

"Because I'm selfish." Jason smiled at his girlfriend. "I planned on hogging you all to myself. Now I find that my one of my best friends, and my sister are interfering in my plans. I can't have that."

"There is plenty of me to go around." Elizabeth said looking at him with her big blue eyes. "Sharing is an important skill."

"I have all the skills I need." Jason pouted. "What I'm not going to have is time with you."

"I will speak to you every day." Elizabeth promised. "Even if it's just a phone call."

"Can I pick you up from school?" If he did that then he would be guaranteed to see her even if it was for a short period of time.

"Jason Morgan are you offering to carry my books home?" Elizabeth flirted some.

"Yeah." Jason laughed, he was really gone.

Lila just beamed watching them.

"Well?" Jason wanted an answer.

"Sure, it will save Milo from having to drive me." Elizabeth had gotten a new co-worker this week. The youngest Giambetti now worked at the school as a gym teacher. With a degree in Physical Fitness he was actually qualified to hold the job, and it kept a guard in the building with Elizabeth. "I'm sure not having to chauffeur me around will do wonders for his social life." Already several female staff members were vying for his attention. One came right out and asked Elizabeth if she was dating Milo. She had passed along the cover story that they knew each other in college and were just good friends. Which lead to the staff member trying to pump Elizabeth for information on how to catch Milo's eye before anyone else did.

"Good." Jason leaned in and kissed Elizabeth not caring that his grandmother was in the room. His coffee arrived and he took a sip. "So have you ladies been doing anything else?"

"I've been getting to know Elizabeth a little bit better." Lila told Jason. "I figured if we became friends, it would keep her from running screaming from the house after her first family dinner."

"I've heard about them." Elizabeth admitted. "It's one of the reasons I never came up to the house before now."

"My girl is smart and pretty. Just like my grandmother." Jason said paying both women compliments.

"Rogue." Lila said nodding at Elizabeth.

"Indeed." The petite brunette agreed.

"Let's look at some pictures of Edward and I when we first began courting." Lila suggested. "That way Jason can drink his coffee."

* * *

><p>They left the mansion at four-thirty, because the family would be home soon, and Jason wasn't really in a visiting mood. He did ask Elizabeth if she wanted to stay, if she had said yes he would have agreed. As much as he liked his family, he needed to take them in small doses unless he had prep time. Elizabeth had said they could go. She was smiling wide as they left because his grandmother asked her to come back next week for a visit, just the two of them. It was clear that Lila approved of Jason's choice.<p>

"Your grandmother is amazing." Elizabeth settled into the car. She would be glad when the weather warmed up and they could go out on the bike.

"She is. I'm sorry I didn't introduce you before now." Jason said looking over quickly.

"Don't be. It's a big deal to take someone home to meet the family. I wasn't expecting her to be there today. I thought it was just going to be me and Em." Elizabeth told her boyfriend. "I'm going to strangle your sister because I'm pretty sure she did this deliberately. With a bit of warning I could have dressed nicer."

"You look great." Jason instantly protested, He loved her in jeans. Loved that she had no problem dressing casually. High maintenance women were annoying.

"Thanks." Elizabeth blushed a bit. Compliments were not something she was used to receiving. "Your grandmother offered to show me pictures of you when you were younger."

"What did you think?" Jason often felt like an inferior model when Jason Quartermaine was brought up.

"I declined. I told her when you were ready for me to see them I would." Elizabeth explained her thinking on the matter. "I won't like him more." She saw how he tensed when his younger years were brought up. It was why she always steered the conversation in a new direction when Emily or Monica did it. To want to share what they knew about Jason was normal, but it couldn't happen until he was ready.

"JQ was pretty amazing by all accounts. I heard a lot about him after waking up from my coma. My therapist was the one who finally told my family to stop bringing him up." Jason said as they pulled into the garage at the Towers. He was cooking for her tonight.

"You're pretty amazing." Elizabeth unlocked her seat belt and slid closer to Jason. "You're smart, kind, funny, hot, and mine. I don't want him."

"Yours?" Jason said unbuckling and shifting to face Elizabeth. "I like the sound of that."

"You better." She said pulling him closer for a soft kiss. "I'm different too." The car was an odd place for this conversation but they needed to have it. "I was a different Elizabeth before I got hurt. Maybe you would have liked her better." She said drawing the parallel between their lives. "It was hard for me to connect with my family for a while after too." Elizabeth's voice got soft.

"I don't want to change a thing about you." Jason said not liking to think about what she had told him. But he got what she was saying. That shared experience of having your life change in an instant was one of the reasons she understood him so well. "If you'd like to hear about JQ its fine."

"Honestly I would. I'd like to know all the parts of you." She wanted him to see that she would still choose him. "When you meet my parents they will tell you stories of Lizzie."

"Lizzie?" Jason repeated.

"That was my nickname growing up. It was well earned." She said laughing at the terror she had been growing up. "You will be glad I'm different."

Jason stopped her. "I adore this version of Elizabeth." He wanted that clear. "But I will never be happy about what happened."

"I didn't mean it that way." Elizabeth leaned in and kissed him again. "So what's for dinner?" It was time to think of happier things.

"I found a recipe online." Jason grinned. "With Brussel sprouts."

"Not if you want to get any more kisses tonight." She hated them and he knew it.

"You are so easy, I'm making halibut. Sonny gave me a recipe." Jason linked his fingers with hers as they walked to the elevator. "I also picked up some chocolate mousse for dessert." He was looking forward to spending the evening with just them. With shared friends they had more nights of socializing, which he didn't mind, but nights alone were his favorite.

"That will get you kisses." Elizabeth smiled at him.

"Why do you think I picked it up?" Jason pulled her close as the door closed. "I think we should practice now for later."

"I always tell my students that if you don't use a skill you will lose it." Elizabeth said looping her arms around his neck.

"Words to live by." Jason said gently kissing her as the elevator started to ascend. He was going to spend the rest of the night spoiling his girl.

* * *

><p>Thanks for the reviews, the follows, and the favorites!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

><p>Hopping Along the Bunny Trail<p>

"You're really good at this." Carly said impressed. If Elizabeth didn't love her job so much then Carly would offer her a position in Deception's PR department.

"I've done this before." Elizabeth said laughing. "This is a lot like events and fundraisers we have at the school. I'm a pretty organized person, and this stuff comes naturally to me."

"Experience is a plus. I suck at things like this. Social things." Carly didn't always get along with other people. She had been a raging bitch when she first arrived in town. As a result she burned a lot of bridges. Falling in love, finding her place, and becoming a mom had really mellowed her.

"You just need more practice. Besides, there is huge difference between planning and hosting. You notice I didn't volunteer for that." Elizabeth grinned.

"Lila is perfect to host brunch after the Easter egg hunt. And I only have to get through Saturday night." Carly told her friend. "How are we getting the eggs stuffed?" The Port Charles Easter Eggstravaganza was an annual event. The egg hunt was the final and most anticipated event that ushered in spring to the upstate New York town. It was free so that any child in the area who wanted to attend could do so.

Every year a different company sponsored the fun filled weekend and this year it was time for Corinthos Morgan to have its turn. Since Carly was Sonny's wife she was expected to have a prominent role in the festivities. Meaning she was supposed to plan them. Not a skill she had. Hiring a party planning firm would be a public admittance of that. Carly didn't like to admit she couldn't do things. Luckily Elizabeth had offered to help.

"Volunteers. I'm giving extra credit to students in my English classes for helping out, some of the other teachers at the Prep are doing the same. I'll fill some, and Emily said she would help." Elizabeth explained. Rounding up help hadn't been at all hard.

"I'll help too." Carly had no problem with that.

"Good. We are thinking about a thousand little plastic eggs." Elizabeth wanted every child to have a chance to get enough eggs to fill their baskets. She also didn't want to deal with real eggs. Since some eggs would not be found, that was just a reality of egg hunts, there was no need to have something that would spoil.

"Wow." Carly laughed. "That should do it. I'll see if some of the guys want to help with the prep."

"The more the merrier." Elizabeth picked up the clipboard. "So on Friday night we have the opening game of the Port Charles Buccaneers, followed by the free Eddie Mane and Eli Love concert that night." The local minor league baseball team always kicked things off with an afternoon game with discounted tickets. "Saturday we have open houses at all the local museums, as well as the Gala at the art museum that night." The proceeds benefitted the Pediatric AIDS fund at the hospital.

"Who are you wearing?" Carly wanted to know.

"Chloe Morgan Jacks. She gave me a discount on the dress." Elizabeth refused to let Jason pay for it. "Since I'll be in the paper." It was a given since she was going with a member of the Quartermaine family.

"I'm wearing her too. She makes the best gowns." Carly was excited to don the gorgeous creation.

"That she does." Elizabeth got back to the schedule. "Sunday is the brunch at the Metro Court benefitting the local animal shelter. Then the egg hunt, followed by a picnic in Jefferson park or the Tea hosted by Lila at the Port Charles hotel, which benefits the local women's and children's shelters." Elizabeth tried to plan this so that everyone could participate in as many events as possible. Nothing was pricey and many things were free due to local sponsors like ELQ.

"This is going to be amazing." Carly was proud to be associated with this. "I told the reporter about you."

"What?" Elizabeth said surprised.

"I didn't do this alone. Hell, Elizabeth I didn't even come up with most of the ideas." They had started planning right after Valentine's Day. All the time spent together had really allowed them to get to know one another better. Carly was thrilled to have a new friend. "I wasn't taking credit I didn't deserve."

"You didn't have to do that." Elizabeth wished she hadn't done that. She liked being in the background. Although dating Jason meant she got more press exposure than she wanted.

"Yeah, I did." Carly felt Elizabeth didn't know her own worth.

"Thank you." Elizabeth said and then grinned. "You still have to give the welcome speech at the gala though."

"Believe me I know." Carly said rolling her eyes. "What else do we need to do?"

Elizabeth picked up her clipboard, and they set about handling the last of the details.

* * *

><p>Jason hated going out of town for business, but as a full partner he couldn't expect Sonny to do this alone. What sucked about this particular trip was that it was over night. So instead of having dinner with Elizabeth, and then maybe making out some after, he was sitting in his hotel room staring at the television waiting for it to be time to have dinner with the heads of several other families. He could hang out in Sonny's room, but right now he wasn't very good company. No need to force that on the guys.<p>

Jason flopped back on the bed so he was now staring at the ceiling. He missed his girl. Because she was helping Carly with the last minute details of the upcoming events they had been reduced to talking on the phone in the days before he left. It had been four whole days since he saw her in person, and he didn't like that one bit.

It wasn't like he saw her every day. They both had work, and friends. Not only was Elizabeth helping Carly, but she was also helping Emily plan her wedding to Dante. His sister didn't want to wait, so they were having a June wedding, which meant they spent most of March making decisions. Jason's job could always be counted on to interrupt scheduled time together, but since officially becoming a couple a week after Valentine's Day they never went this long without seeing one another.

If he didn't watch it he was going to start pouting soon.

There was something to look forward to though. Elizabeth was spending the entire weekend at the penthouse. He recalled that conversation and had to smile. They had gone for a bike ride and were at Vista Pointe when they talked.

"_I want to ask you something." Jason started._

"_Sure." Elizabeth loved being on the back of his bike and she loved the time they spent together after the rides even more._

"_I was wondering if you would stay at my place the weekend of the egg hunt?" Jason watched as she bit her lower lip and looked away. "Elizabeth?"_

"_I'm not ready for sex." Elizabeth said quietly wondering if Jason was tired of waiting. Six days after their romantic dinner she had told him why she didn't celebrate Valentine's Day. She had also told him that sex was not something she rushed into. More than one guy had ended things with her because of how slow she moved in that area. The two guys she had slept with each had to wait six months. She and Jason had been going out for almost two months, but hadn't made it past kissing and touching. He was probably getting impatient._

"_I'm not asking you for sex." Jason gently brought her face back to his. "You said you needed to go slow. Which means I need to wait for you to be ready, for you to tell me you are ready. I agreed to that, and I haven't changed my mind. You can stay in Emily's old room." Jason explained. "With us going to so many events it is easier to have you staying with me, plus Saturday night we will be out late. And all those are excuses, I just want you close." He ended on a smile._

"_Are you sure you're okay with the pace we are moving at?" Elizabeth had to ask._

"_If all we did was talk for a year before anything happened that would be enough for me. I have no problem waiting for you." Jason said cupping her cheek and rubbing his soft skin of her cheek. "Now if you want to kiss on me some while you are staying over that's fine."_

"_I'll keep that in mind." She turned and kissed the center of his palm before looking back at him and smiling._

She had agreed to stay over and he pretty much floated back to the bike.

Jason looked at his watch, the dinner wasn't for another three hours. "Francis meet me at the elevator." He said sitting up and grabbing his shoes. Another downside to being out of town, he had to take a guard with him where ever he went.

* * *

><p>"Where are we going?" Francis asked his boss.<p>

"I need to go shopping." Jason told his friend.

"So you felt the need to make me suffer too. Johnny likes to shop." Francis said busting Jason's balls. "Or did you want someone who was pissed enough to shoot you when you asked."

Jason grinned at his friend. "No, I wanted someone with experience in what I'm shopping for. It was either you or Sonny. I really like Sonny, but he has god awful taste in jewelry. You give Kelly really nice pieces."

"Yeah he does. That's because Carly prefers weight over clarity." Francis said as they walked out of the hotel. "Large and shiny are her standards." Francis liked Carly, but her taste tended toward the gaudy. "Where are we going?"

"Four blocks over." Jason said as they set off. He didn't have to say anything else. Francis had grown up in New York and knew the city like the back of his hand. He knew what store was four blocks from the hotel.

"You should have called ahead and made an appointment. That way you don't have to shop, you just sit in a private room and they bring you stuff to look at." Francis told Jason.

"Why do you think I got to the elevator after you? I called and told them my grandfather recommended I come over, instant appointment. Also guaranteed privacy, I don't want this getting out." Dropping Edward's name wasn't something Jason normally did, but today it worked out well.

Francis held the door and let Jason go in first.

"Welcome to Tiffany's can I help you?" A clerk greeted them.

"I have an appointment." Jason replied.

"What are we looking at?" Francis wanted to know, although he already had a suspicion.

"Rings." Jason answered as they walked further into the store. He wanted Elizabeth to know he was serious. Something pretty on her finger should do just that.

* * *

><p>"Okay, I think that is everything." Elizabeth muttered to herself as she packed her suitcase. One of the benefits of a teaching at a private school was the extended breaks. Not only did she have all of next week off for spring break, but she had the following week as well. Today they had a half day which afforded her the opportunity to come home and pack for her weekend at Jason's. It was good thing they opted to skip the ball game because she had packed, unpacked, and then repacked twice. Saturday night and the tea on Sunday were the only two outfits she was positive about. Everything else she kept second guessing. "Close the damn bag already." Elizabeth muttered doing just that.<p>

She hadn't ever spent the weekend with a guy before. Both her other relationships that progressed to the point where they included sex had been in college, and didn't even involve staying all night. Elizabeth had been upfront with Jason about not being ready for sex, but she hadn't told him why. After waiting for her to be in a space where intimacy was something she felt she was ready for, her boyfriends both broke up with her not long after.

Because she sucked at sex.

She had trouble relaxing, and ended up lying there like a lump. Her first boyfriend had been kind about it, her second not so much. Jason was going to find that out eventually, but it wasn't going to be this weekend. Maybe if the universe was kind by the time they got there she would have found a way to not freeze up after taking her clothes off.

The doorbell rang and she went to the intercom. "Hello?"

"Hey." Jason said from down on the front steps.

Elizabeth took a deep breath, and buzzed him up.

* * *

><p>They had a great day Saturday going to the events they were interested in. They had stopped and talked with friends they ran into and just had a leisurely day together before coming back to the penthouse to get ready. Since she was wearing a designer gown Chloe has arranged for Elizabeth to have her own personal glam squad get her prepped. After what felt like an eternity of being fussed over she was ready.<p>

"Hi." Elizabeth came downstairs and got a look at Jason in his tuxedo. "Wow, you look so handsome."

"And you are stunning." Jason came over and took her hand. She was in blue and it made her eyes look even deeper.

"Thank you." Elizabeth blushed. "Chloe did an amazing job." They had sat and talked. Afterwards the designer had decided that Elizabeth should be in clean lines, with her petite stature too much volume would be overwhelming. And Chloe wanted the dress to be red. Which Elizabeth shot down, so they had gone with royal blue instead.

"I have somethings for you to wear with your dress." Jason picked up, and opened, the velvet box that was on the table.

"Jason." Elizabeth said blinking at the diamonds inside.

"The pieces belong to my grandmother. She called and asked if she could send them. I hope you don't mind that I said yes." Jason had been surprised at the request. He understood this was his grandmother's way of saying she approved of Elizabeth. "She spoke with Chloe and picked these out with you in mind." Jason explained.

"They are beautiful, and I would be proud to wear them. That was very generous of Lila. I will be sure to thank her tomorrow." The Quartermaine matriarch would not be attending this evening. That Lila made this offer humbled Elizabeth.

Jason put the flower shaped white gold and diamond necklace on for her, and then watched as she added the flower shaped diamond earrings before donning the triple strand of diamonds around her wrist. "Grandmother asks that we take a picture this evening and send it to her."

"Absolutely." Elizabeth said smiling.

"Shall we?" Jason asked holding out his arm. The limo was downstairs waiting.

* * *

><p>"You look stunning!" Emily said coming over and giving her friend a hug. "And tall." She added laughing.<p>

Elizabeth laughed too. "That red is divine on you. It sets off your ring very nicely."

"Yes, it does." Emily said holding up her hand and showing off her ruby and diamond engagement ring.

"We've seen the ring already." Carly said as she joined them.

"It's too nice not to show off again." Emily said smiling at her friend. She didn't get to wear her engagement ring all the time. So yeah she flashed it when she got the chance.

"You look beautiful Carly." Elizabeth told her friend.

"Thanks, but I think we all know who is going to be turning heads tonight." Carly said taking Elizabeth hand and twirling her friend. "Chloe killed it with that blue. The jewelry is perfect too."

"It's Lila's. She loaned them to me for the evening." Elizabeth said proudly.

"When it comes to good taste it doesn't get any better than Mrs. Q." Carly adored Jason's grandmother.

"Are you ready to speak?" Emily asked Carly.

"No. I think after a couple of bottles of champagne I will be." The blonde joked. "I tried to bribe Elizabeth to do it, but her damn morals got in the way."

"What did you use?" Emily asked her friend.

"A week on the island." Carly thought that was a great bribe.

"You should have gone with chocolate." Emily advised.

"Would that have worked?" Carly asked looking over at Elizabeth.

"Sadly, yes it would. Especially if you used truffles. I'm weak." Elizabeth said grinning.

"I'll remember that the next time it's our turn to plan this event." Carly looked at the crowded room. "Is it too late to run? Because I can haul ass in heels."

"Yeah." Elizabeth smiled. "But Emily and I will wave to you from our table."

"Bitch." Carly said laughing.

"Yup." Elizabeth responded. "I'm gonna go get my guy." There were a lot of people here and being closer to Jason would calm her nerves.

"Let's all go get our guys. That way we can keep them out of trouble." Emily suggested.

* * *

><p>"Did you have fun?" Jason asked as they waved to their friends and then walked into the penthouse.<p>

"I did. I love dancing with you." Elizabeth told him.

"I love anything that gives me a reason to hold you close." Jason said leaning against the door.

"Will you help me take off the necklace?" Elizabeth asked softly. She could feel the energy between them shifting somewhat. This happened often when they were alone.

"Sure." Jason walked over and unlocked the delicate clasp letting his fingers linger on her skin. He felt her tremble some before she turned to look up at him. Unwilling to hold back, like he had been doing all night, he leaned down and took her mouth in a sensual kiss. She opened for him and his hands cupped her face as he took the kiss deeper.

Elizabeth put her hands over his wrists and let her tongue mate with his. Jason was an excellent kisser. Something she let him know. Not a lot of the guys she dated liked kissing, or were very good at. Jason very much enjoyed the way her mouth felt beneath his, something he didn't hesitate to tell her. Moaning in pleasure she sucked in a breath when he pulled his lips away and placed his forehead on hers. She licked her lips savoring his taste and he growled.

"You are killing me Elizabeth." Jason said on a harsh whisper.

"We could go upstairs." She said quietly. Maybe it would be better to get this first time over with. All first times were awkward right?

"We will." Jason said looking into her blue eyes. "And I would love to have you stay in my room tonight." Last night she slept down the hall. "But we can't make love." He could feel her trembling harder, and not all of it was the kiss. She was rushing and he knew it.

"I'm ready." Elizabeth trusted him.

"I'm not." Jason said a bit self-consciously. He would put the reason they had to stop tonight on him.

"Why not?" Elizabeth asked surprise that he was putting on the breaks.

"I've been drinking tonight. Scotch." Jason told her.

"You aren't drunk." Elizabeth pointed out.

"No, but I'm feeling it." Jason grinned. "I want to be completely sober when we are together the first time. But I'd like to hold you tonight."

Elizabeth bit her lower lip, she wasn't sure she would be brave enough to go forward in the morning.

"If you change your mind tomorrow, its fine." Jason said pushing a stray curl behind her ear. "There's no rush."

That was when she knew he knew she wasn't really ready. "Thank you." She stepped forward and let him hold her. "I'll go get my night gown." Elizabeth told him as she removed the rest of the jewelry.

"I'll meet you upstairs." Jason told her. He was glad they were waiting, a thought that made him laugh. He wanted his ring on her finger before they took that next step. With his grandmother's jewelry away he put the box in his safe before heading upstairs. He had a feeling that tonight was going to be the best night's sleep he ever had in his life.

* * *

><p>"How is it going?" Jason came up and stood beside Elizabeth.<p>

"Good, the kids are finding lots of eggs." She smiled up at Jason. He was in a suit today because once the egg hunt was over they were going to Lila's brunch. Right now they were watching the kids crawl all over the private gardens at the arboretum.

"The guys had a lot of fun stuffing the eggs." Jason grinned at her. They had set aside a room at the warehouse for the activity. Some eggs had candy, others had stickers, and some had silver dollars. Three special eggs had tickets in them and those kids got the large Easter baskets on the registration table. If the tickets weren't found then names would be pulled from the basket the registration forms were in. "They had more fun eating the little chocolates. I swear we ended up having to buy twice as much as was needed. I think Johnny ate several pounds all by himself."

"Who is in the bunny suit?" Elizabeth had been delighted when the large furry bunny strolled onto the grounds.

"Cody." Jason grinned.

"Did he volunteer?" Elizabeth asked laughing.

"No, he lost the straw pull." Jason said putting his arm around his girl's waist. This morning waking up with her soft little body curled into his had been heaven. In one night she had soured the thought of sleeping alone ever again. "I gave him two extra vacation days, because the guys are never going to let him live this down."

"The kids are loving it." Elizabeth pointed out where several kids were waiting to have their picture taken with the bunny. She leaned into him and put her head on the spot on his shoulder that seemed to be made for her. Last night when they got into his bed she had been amazed at how well they fit against each other. Sleeping in his arms was something she hoped to do again soon. Maybe they could even make love the next time, because this morning she had indeed changed her mind.

"Did you look for any eggs?" Jason teased.

"No." Elizabeth grinned. "I did take a few pieces of candy from the registration dish. "It's Easter you have to have at least one piece of chocolate."

"Yeah, you do." Jason watched as Carly officially ended the egg hunt. Any child who had less than ten eggs would have their baskets filled from the reserve they had on hand, but from where he stood it didn't seem to be an issue. The little baskets they had handed out earlier where brimming with the colorful hollow plastic shells. "Let's head over to the hotel." He wanted to beat the rush.

"Sounds good." Elizabeth said letting him lead her away.

* * *

><p>"This was the best weekend ever." Elizabeth smiled at Jason as they stepped off the elevator. "I'm sad to see it end."<p>

"Me too." Jason admitted. These types of events were actually fun with Elizabeth by his side. "We'll get your things and I'll drive you home."

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Elizabeth asked walking into the penthouse. She wanted more time with him.

"Absolutely." Jason stole a kiss before letting her go.

"Jason!" Elizabeth laughed at the large silk egg sitting on the coffee table. "What is that?"

"I think the Easter bunny came." Jason had Milo drop this off for him. "Maybe you should open the egg, and see what he left you."

"I haven't had a visit from the Easter bunny in years." Elizabeth said pulling Jason to the couch. "I wonder what's inside." She carefully opened the latch taking a moment to admire the egg. It was beautiful and could be used again. "Truffles." Elizabeth laughed pulling out the bag of round treats.

"Anything else?" Jason asked as his heart starting beat just a bit faster in excitement.

"Peanut butter cups, dark chocolate." Elizabeth grinned. "My favorite."

"Funny how he knew that." Jason watched in anticipation. "Is that all?"

Elizabeth peeked inside. "Chocolate covered sea salt caramels." She said in delight lifting the box from the egg and pausing. Her eyes flew to Jason's before looking in the egg again. With a shaking hand she put the treat on the table and reached into the egg to remove the Robin's egg blue box with a white ribbon.

"Open it." Jason urged, hoping she liked what he had selected.

Elizabeth looked at the box for a moment before pulling the ribbon. Carefully she removed the lid and tipped over the box so that the velvet box inside fell into her palm.

Jason took it from her and opened the lid. "Will you wear my ring?" He asked with his heart in his throat.

Elizabeth simply hadn't seen this coming. She looked at the ring, it was stunning. "Are those swans?"

"Yes. It's called the Swan Ring." Jason told her waiting for an answer. "Swans mate for life." While this was not an engagement ring, he was making his intentions pretty clear. He was falling in love with her, and had no intentions of fighting it.

"They do." Elizabeth said on a sigh. She held out her hand and Jason slipped the ring on her finger. The diamond in the center flashed its fire, and she smiled at him. "It's beautiful."

"You're beautiful." And his, the ring announced to the entire world that she had a guy who adored her. Jason smiled understanding that she was feeling the same emotions he was, her acceptance of his ring told him that. He leaned forward and she met him half way for a sweet kiss. This was only the beginning, and he couldn't wait for what came next.

* * *

><p>Thanks for the reviews, the follows, and the favorites!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

This one shot is not holiday related.

* * *

><p>Batter Up!<p>

"There's Kelly over there." Emily said pointing to their friend who had a blanket spread under a large tree. The three women walked over and sat down. "Hey." Emily greeted her friend before looking out onto the baseball diamond to see who had already arrived.

"This is a great spot." Carly was appreciative of the shade on the sunny day. It was unseasonably warm which was why she and Sonny decided that Michael would stay home.

"Why do you think I got here so early?" The doctor said grinning. "I scouted this location out when the schedule was posted on the website. Anytime we play here I will be arriving early." As the summer progressed shade would be at a premium. "I love watching my guy, but I don't feel like burning to a crisp while doing it. No man is worth that."

"Amen sister." Carly had left more than one game early because of overheating. Last summer while she was pregnant it had been brutal. At least it was early in the pregnancy.

"What position does Francis play?" Elizabeth asked, this was her first Port Charles Business League soft ball game. Despite being Emily's, and then Jason's, friend Elizabeth hadn't come to watch the guys play the last two seasons.

"Left field because he sucks." Kelly said being honest. She rarely held her tongue. "He splits the time out there with Max and Marco, because they suck as well."

"Don't hold back, tell us how you really feel." Carly said laughing. Kelly was one of the first friends she made in PC. She also delivered Michael. The doctor could always be counted on to have an opinion on every situation.

"Francis has other skills that I appreciate. Skills where sucking is a good thing." Kelly grinned, leaving no doubt what she was talking about.

"Too much information." Emily said covering her ears and laughing.

"Does Sonny play?" Elizabeth asked her friends. All three woman roared with laughter.

"No." Carly answered after calming down. "He'll be in a full suit. The man doesn't own casual clothes." At least not in PC, on the island was a different story. On the island he got to be a different Sonny. She really loved those times when her husband got to relax.

"Dante plays catcher." Emily said proudly. He was really good with fast reflexes.

"How, he doesn't work for Corinthos Morgan?" Elizabeth pointed out. Dante had left the police department shortly after proposing and now ran his own private investigation firm.

"As Sonny's son he was extended a courtesy since his business doesn't have enough employees to field its own team." Emily explained. "When Dante left the PCPD it was hard to say if Mac was sad because he was losing a great detective or his best player." The young doctor said laughing.

"Okay." Elizabeth thought that made sense. Jason played center field and back up short stop if Milo was unavailable. She was looking forward to watching him run around in his uniform. The dark blue pants the team wore showed off his butt quite nicely. Since she had stayed over last night she had gotten the opportunity to ogle him this morning after he got dressed. "So Emily and Kelly who are you rooting for today?" The guys were playing the hospital, which meant the two doctor's co-workers.

"Our guys of course, which is why I'm not in the lineup today." Kelly answered grinning. "I'm a wicked first baseperson and there is no need to embarrass my boyfriend and his friends."

"And you're modest too, don't leave that out." Emily added, she always had a good time with Kelly. The obstetrician was riot and perfect for Francis. "Yup, our guys. It should be a good game because the hospital staff is really good." Which was why Emily wasn't on the team, because she sucked at baseball too. Her dad held try outs every year, and she never made the cut. Lessons with Dante didn't help because they always got distracted.

"We have this in the bag. Our guys are going to crush the hospital staff, and all the other teams in the league." Carly predicted with confidence. "Remember you heard that here first."

The ladies all grinned at the announcement. Everyone was looking forward to this afternoon's game. It was what happened after the game that had Carly, Emily, and Kelly worried. It was tradition for the two teams to go for drinks and that was where things could get sticky. Jason and Leo Julian did not get along at all. The doctor was an egotistical jerk who didn't know when to shut up. To make matters worse Leo liked to flirt with Elizabeth, mostly because she spent all her time ignoring him. He seemed determined to make Elizabeth succumb to his charms. Elizabeth had assured Jason she wasn't interested in the doctor, but the blonde still didn't like it one bit. As long as Leo didn't do it in front of Jason today things should be fine.

"Do you need me to explain the game?" Kelly asked Elizabeth.

"No, I like baseball." Elizabeth said getting comfortable.

"Bores me to tears." Carly grinned. She came strictly to socialize.

"Hello ladies." Patrick walked over and grinned.

"Hey Patrick." Emily shaded her eyes and looked up. "Ready for the game?"

"You know it. I'm looking forward to starting the season off with a win, thus putting us one game closer to the championship." The doctor remarked. The teams in the league took the games seriously.

"You lost that championship game." Carly reminded him.

"Redemption is good for the soul." Patrick laughed remembering last season's finale contest. It had been a hell of a game. No one was worried that the official hadn't called a clean game. Sonny didn't feel the need to cheat, he enjoyed the fact that his team won the season fair and square.

"ELQ fields a good team as well. Even if you do get past Corinthos Morgan, the hospital team might not get past them." Emily cheered just as hard for AJ's team as she did for Jason's, and her dad's.

"This is our year." Patrick said with absolute certainty. The operating room was not the only place he was a bit arrogant. Despite losing the big game, Patrick had been named league MVP. "And it starts today by kicking your butts." He said with a wide smile.

"The coach is calling for a huddle." Leo said after jogging up. He had only been too happy to have a reason to come over to where Patrick was socializing. "Ladies. Hello Elizabeth." Leo said singling her out.

"Dr. Julian." Elizabeth said with a good amount of ice in her tone. She wouldn't be rude, but she kept him at a distance when she had no choice but to interact with him. Normally that was only in elevators or the cafeteria where he always sat at a table near the one she was at.

"Leo." He said smiling at her. "We are practically colleagues with all the time you spend volunteering at the hospital." He simply couldn't resist a challenge, the fact that she didn't just give in to his charms gave him a rush. The nurses at the hospital had become boring. They were eager for him to ask them out. But Elizabeth was not. Taking her from Morgan would give him something to brag about. Plus she would look good on his arm.

Elizabeth huffed and looked out onto the field where Jason was watching them with a scowl on his face. She waved and smiled, hoping to relax him some. He waved back, but wasn't smiling in return. Johnny called a huddle and Jason jogged away.

"Let's go." Patrick thought his co-worker was an idiot. Leo had a reputation among the female staff at the hospital, which was bad enough. Going after Jason's girl, probably just to prove a point, was suicide. Patrick hoped his fellow doctor got the ass whooping of a lifetime. He was due.

"I look forward to seeing you after the game." Leo said pressing his luck. "We can talk over a drink."

"The coach is waving us over." Patrick said giving the other doctor a push. Alan was ready to go through the game strategy.

With another grin Leo finally moved off.

"Why can't he take a hint that I'm not interested?" Elizabeth was going to have to talk to Alan after her next shift. This needed to end.

"Some men like the chase." Carly knew a lot of guys like Leo. The mob was full of them. They all eventually ended up on the wrong side of an angry fist and if they still didn't wise up the wrong end of a gun.

"Leo is really smart about his flirting. He's never done anything that can be called sexual harassment. Too many willing women have inflated his already large ego." Kelly narrowed her eyes at the field where the guys were huddled before the game started. She thought Leo was going to end the day with getting his ass kicked. She hoped to be there when it happened, her phone was fully charged she would be sure to record the event. He had hit on her once, and she threatened him with a pair of forceps if he did it again.

* * *

><p>The three ladies exchanged a look while Elizabeth watched Jason. It was going to be an interesting game.<p>

It was the top of the fifth and Corinthos Morgan was up one run on the strength of Milo's bat. Not only was the youngest Giambetti brother a star short stop, but he held the league record for home runs. Last year Patrick had only narrowly beat him out for MVP. Milo had said that wasn't going to happen again. The young guard liked to joke that it took an Italian to show how the national past time was supposed to be played. Johnny chalked it up to Milo showing off for the ladies in the stands. The younger man just grinned, not bothering to correct his friend.

"Move in." Johnny called out. He was team captain, and played second base. Leo was at bat and he rarely hit a ball deep into the outfield. Cody was on the mound and delivered a pitch which Leo caught just enough of to send it to left field over Marco's head. The doctor took off and managed to end up with a standing double.

Leyla Mir was up next, and the guys stayed in their same position. She also was not a power hitter. It was Matt Hunter, and Nadine Crowell they had to watch out for on the hospital squad. Especially Nadine. She was a former All State college player and her skills were respected.

Leyla was on her third foul when Leo decided it was good day to be stupid. "Hey Morgan. When we hand you guys your first loss of the season I'm gonna give Elizabeth the option to go home with a winner." The doctor said with a smirk. He figured this was the only chance he would get to swipe at Jason. With both Elizabeth and Alan in attendance Morgan would have to keep his cool. He was nothing but a chained guard dog at this point.

Jason just ignored the doctor. The guys could all hear what Leo said and exchanged looks.

"You should stop now." Milo warned the doctor figuring it wouldn't do any good.

"Why, is Morgan gonna beat me up?" Leo laughed. "I can work with that. I'm sure Elizabeth would be happy to give me some TLC." He knew Morgan wasn't going to make a move, not with so many witnesses. The mobster couldn't even do anything later, because if something happened to Leo, Jason would be the first suspect.

Jason leveled a stare at the doctor, and told himself to let it go. The last thing he wanted to do was beat someone up in front of Elizabeth. She didn't need to see that, he also knew that Julian was petty enough to press charges. So far Jason had managed to avoid being arrested since he and Elizabeth started going out. He'd like to keep that streak going. Spending time apart because he was in prison wasn't an option. But Julian was pushing his luck.

Leyla struck out and another staff member came up. They were in the bottom of the lineup and the guys were still playing shallow. They needed one more out to end the inning.

Leo turned to Jason and grinned. He wanted to push Jason as far as he could. Maybe if Elizabeth saw who her boyfriend really was, she'd be willing to give Leo a shot. "I can show her how a real man handles things. I'm not gonna wait months to hit that, I'll have her out of her panties by the end of the night." He had overheard Elizabeth say that she and mobster were taking things slow. Leo thought Jason was an idiot, women like Elizabeth needed men who took the reins in a relationship.

And that was all Jason was willing to take. Leo could say anything he wanted about him, but that kind of talk about Elizabeth wasn't going to fly. His glove hit the ground and he took off from his spot.

* * *

><p>When Jason's glove hit the ground it caused an instant reaction from his teammates, and some of the members of the hospital team. Johnny and Milo just managed to get in front of their boss, while Patrick and Matt, both of whom ran over from the bench, tried to pull Leo away.<p>

"He's not worth it Jason." Johnny could easily see his friend in jail for murder. What Julian had said was way over the line in terms of trash talk.

"What's the matter Morgan, your lady not worth fighting for?" Leo taunted laughing.

"Shut up!" Matt said to his co-worker. "Do you want to die?"

"He won't do anything." Leo laughed. "I've been hitting on Elizabeth for months and he hasn't done a damn thing." The doctor threw out. "He's just playing with her until something better comes along."

"Let me go." Jason said in low voice. He was going to erase Leo Julian from existence.

"Jason, come on." Elizabeth and the other ladies had come out. It didn't take a long mental walk to figure out what had happened. Despite not hearing what was said they could see that Leo was talking to Jason. She was hoping to take her boyfriend back to the blanket and calm him down some.

The umpire was standing at home plate watching the dust up. Epiphany was the first base coach and she had clearly heard Leo's remark. She told the official it would be best to let this play out, then she walked over and told Alan to call an ambulance. There was no way Jason wasn't going to hurt the doctor. That had the Chief of Staff heading out.

"Leo go to the bench." Alan ordered.

"I'm not the one who charged another player." Leo could at the very least get Morgan tossed.

"You instigated." Milo shoot back. "We all heard you."

"Jason, let's go." Elizabeth pulled on her boyfriend's arm.

"Elizabeth you can do better than letting him turn you into a mob whore." Leo said with a smug grin.

Elizabeth was stunned for just a few seconds, and then she walked over and slapped Leo across the face. "You're an asshole." She said with real heat.

The doctor's reaction was instant and knee jerk. He pushed Elizabeth causing her to stumble back and land on her butt in the dirt. "You bitch!" Leo said pissed.

He never even saw the first punch. Johnny and Milo both moved at the same time and Jason was on the doctor in the blink of an eye.

"Jason." Alan said knowing he wasn't going to be able to stop his son. After Leo put his hands on Elizabeth, Alan didn't want to. "Leo is a gifted surgeon, don't break his hands."

Jason didn't even say a word as he advanced again on the doctor.

"Come on I'll take you home." Francis said helping Elizabeth up. She didn't need to see this. At some point the guys would pull Jason off the doctor, but not just yet. "Ladies." Francis said indicating they should all come with him. Without a word the five of them left and headed to the car.

* * *

><p>It wasn't anywhere close to an even fight. Jason dropped Leo with his first punch and the doctor never got back up. Keeping in mind what his father said Jason worked Leo's body. With his eyes not completely swollen shut, they were black from the broken nose, and his hands not broken he should still be able to operate. Assuming he could stand with the broken ribs that he now had.<p>

The guys pulled Jason off Leo when they heard the sirens. Since this was a public park others were in the area and a bystander had called the cops. The guys of Corinthos Morgan figured they were heading down town when Det. Harper walked over.

"Call an ambulance." Harper said looking at the bloody mess that was Leo Julian.

"One is already on the way." Alan provided. He had been amazed at just how much damage his son could do when motivated.

"Would someone like to explain what happened?" This was the oddest call out of his career. While it wasn't surprising that the mob guys hadn't interfered, the hospital staff should have. The fact that they just watched their co-worker get pummeled was sending up all kinds of red flags.

"I'm pressing charges." Leo managed to get out. He didn't know pain like this existed. He was going to get the best lawyer possible and see that Morgan ended up in jail for as long as possible.

"You have anything to say?" Harper asked the blonde mob boss. He could see by the blood on his white uniform shirt that Jason had been the one dishing out the beating. Which also didn't make sense, Morgan was smart. Too smart to get caught like this.

Jason kept silent but Leyla, who had recently broken up with Leo, did not. She had ended things after walking in on him and a fellow nurse having sex in a storage closet. "Leo called Elizabeth Webber a mob whore and she slapped him. Then he pushed her into the dirt." It was Epiphany who told Leyla what had transpired prior to the slap. Leyla knew Leo was a player when they started dating but he swore he had changed. She had foolishly enough believed him. So this little bit of payback felt great. "Jason was just defending his girlfriend."

Harper saw his uncomplicated arrest of Morgan going out the window. If he took Morgan in, he'd have to bring in Ms. Webber as well since she had landed the first blow. "You want to press charges against Elizabeth Webber?" Harper looked down and asked the injured doctor.

"No against Morgan." Leo said through clinched teeth as the ambulance pulled up. Patrick was giving him a quick look over to make sure death wasn't imminent.

"Jason acted in defense of Elizabeth, you'll never make that stick." Dante said to his friend, and former co-worker.

"I know." Harper said looking back at the doctor who heard every word. "So, your only option is to press charges against Ms. Webber for assault. Would you like to?"

Jason actually growled, and this warning the doctor was smart enough to heed. "No." Leo answered as the EMT's came over to put him on the gurney.

The detective didn't even bother to warn Morgan about intimidating a witness. Sounds like the doctor had the beating coming. Men don't put their hands on women. "I need to have Ms. Webber call me." Harper said to Jason.

"Why?" Sonny asked, Jason was still breathing hard mostly from anger.

"She is within her rights to press verbal and physical assault charges against Dr. Julian." Harper explained watching the doctor's eyes widen. Clearly he hadn't factored that in.

"I will ask her to call you." Jason said speaking for the first time. Elizabeth wasn't going to press charges, she would probably file a complaint at the hospital though.

With the dust up over the umpire walked over to where everyone was standing. "Mr. Morgan and Dr. Julian are suspended for the rest of the season. They are not to attend any games as players or observers, to do so will cause an automatic forfeit for their team." He announced. "And I'm calling the game." Which meant the mob guys took the first win. With that the umpire walked away.

"Now I want to kick Leo's ass." Matt muttered walking away. His goal had been a perfect season.

Jason came back to himself enough to look around the field. "Where are the ladies?"

"Francis took them home after you landed the first punch." Johnny said scooping Jason's glove up off the ground. "I'm guessing he took Elizabeth to her apartment."

"Thanks." Jason took his glove and trotted over to his bike. This was not how he saw the day ending.

* * *

><p>His first stop was Elizabeth's apartment. He rang the doorbell and waited for her to come to the intercom. When she didn't, he called upstairs only to get her voicemail. The same thing happened when he called her cell phone. After trying the bell again with the same results he called Francis, who said he did indeed drop Elizabeth off at her apartment.<p>

Thinking that she wasn't ready to talk to him Jason got back on his bike and headed home. In the penthouse he pulled out his cell phone again. "Elizabeth, can you call me when you get this message. I'm sorry for what happened at the park, and I want to make sure you're okay." He hung up the phone and wondered how long it would be before she called him back.

"I'm fine." Elizabeth said from behind him. "I mean my butt's a little sore, but other than that I'm okay."

Jason whirled around when she started talking. "How come you're here? Francis said he took you home."

"He did. I wanted to get changed. After I walked over." Elizabeth had deliberately let Francis leave, she wanted to walk over to the Towers alone. She needed the space to think.

"You didn't answer your cell phone." Jason said knowing that wasn't what they needed to talk about.

"It's in the closet in my purse." Elizabeth pointed over to the door. "How is your hand? Do you need some ice?" She asked walking over to where he was standing.

Jason looked at his right hand which was slightly swollen. "I'll get some after I shower. Det. Harper needs to know if you want to press charges."

"Will that affect you if I do? I imagine you'll be called to give a statement." Elizabeth didn't think he wanted to do that.

"That's not a problem. Diane will go with you if that's your choice." Jason wanted to hold her close but he wasn't sure she wanted that. "I didn't want you to see me like that." He said softly.

"Like what?" Elizabeth picked up his hand and gave it a gentle kiss. "I've never had a guy fight to defend me before."

"I'll always fight for you. You're my girl, it's my job to protect you." Jason let his free hand run through her soft hair.

"I know you'll always do everything you can to make sure I'm safe." She said looking at his hand. "That's one of the reasons I love you."

Jason froze as he looked at the petite woman holding his hand. "You love me?" He said after finding his voice.

"I know its fast, and I don't expect you to feel the same way as me." Elizabeth said finding the courage to look up at him. "I just wanted you to know." She finished speaking and looked down again.

"Elizabeth." Jason said her name softly and waited until she met his eyes again. "I love you too. It is fast, but it's also right." He said starting to smile.

"You do?" Elizabeth said feeling tears come to her eyes.

"How could I not? You're amazing." Jason said cupping her cheek and smiling. "Next time throw a punch. You want to put your opponent on the ground so that they can't retaliate. My heart stopped when you hit the dirt. Are you sure you don't want someone to look at you?" He was worried she was downplaying her injury so he would stay calm.

"I'm fine. Better than fine." She said smiling. Leaning up she let her lips brush against his.

Jason leaned closer and kissed her harder. "Yes you are." He said watching as she blushed. "I'm going to shower and then we can go out to dinner. I want to celebrate."

"I'll get an ice pack ready, after that we can go out." Elizabeth felt like celebrating too.

"I won't be long." Jason walked to the steps. "I love you." He had to say it again.

"I love you too." Elizabeth answered smiling wide as he went upstairs. She hugged herself feeling giddy. "Jason loves me." She whispered softly before heading to the kitchen to get that ice pack.

* * *

><p>Thanks for the reviews, the follows, and the favorites!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

><p>And Baby Makes Three<p>

"I really appreciate this." Sonny said as the crew brought over Michael's essentials.

"It's not a problem." Jason said taking the little boy. Michael currently looked more like his mom than his dad, but that might change as he grew. Jason loved hanging out with him because he was a pretty happy child. "He's my godson so of course I'd let him stay. How is Carly?" He was worried about his friend.

"A mess." Sonny needed to get back next door, so they could get going.

"Tell her not to worry about things here, to just concentrate on Lucas." Jason told Sonny.

"Yeah." The mob boss answered distractedly his mind was making sure he had covered all the bases. "The doctor who called said that the accident was bad. Right now Lucas is still in the hospital and Bobbie is with him, but Carly is going out of her mind with us here."

"Totally understandable. Are you bringing Lucas back here?" Jason asked walking over to the portable play area and putting the toddler down.

"Carly and Bobbie will decide that." Sonny would support whatever decision the two ladies made. Bobbie was out west spending some time with her son. The plan was to spend the summer and try to talk Lucas into returning to Port Charles with her. The younger man had surprised his mom by saying he had been accepted to the medical school here in Port Charles. He missed everyone and wanted to get to know his nephew. "It should be easy enough to transport him on the private jet. I feel bad interrupting your personal time." Elizabeth would be over shortly. She normally didn't stay over during the week, but every weekend she was here. Sonny figured since today was the last day of the school year they would be seeing her more often.

"Elizabeth will understand. She adores Michael." Jason would of course give her the option to not stay over.

"If it looks like this will take a while I'll fly back." Sonny said looking at his little boy who was holding onto the side of playpen watching them.

"Sonny, don't worry about the business. I have it under control. If you will be a while call and let me know and we'll figure out what we need to do. If nothing else I can have Leticia fly Michael out in a few weeks so you can spend Father's Day together. This is your first one, so you shouldn't miss it." Jason said putting his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"It figures this would be the weekend Leticia started her vacation." Sonny said looking the clock. "I left a message explaining what happened and that I would like for her to call." If she could come back then Sonny would reimburse her for money spent and let her take vacation another time.

"I'll wait for her call, but if she can't come we'll still be fine." Jason told his friend.

"I need to get going." Sonny said walking over and kissing his son's head. "Be good for Uncle Jason." Michael grinned showing his gums. "I love you." Sonny said kissing him again. "Thanks Jason. Carly will call later."

Jason nodded and turned to face his unexpected visitor. "So what should we do this weekend? You're too little to ride on the bike, and I don't think poker is your thing. Maybe we can go the park and I'll push you on the swings? How does that sound?"

The little boy just looked at his godfather and grinned.

"Aunt Elizabeth is going to come visit us in a little bit. I know how much you like her." Jason said picking up Michael and walking him around the apartment. Being left with the baby wasn't scary. He took the first aid course at the hospital, and babysat from time to time. Being left with Michael for at least the next week, now that was scary. But he could handle this, and of course Elizabeth would offer her support. "We can do this. Right?" Jason asked Michael. "I'll take your silence to be an agreement. Come on let's get started on lunch. Aunt Elizabeth only has a half a day today and she said she would come right over from school."

* * *

><p>"Jason?" Elizabeth let herself in the penthouse and called out to her boyfriend.<p>

"Here." He came trotting down the steps. "I was putting Michael down for a nap. Hi." He said backing her into the door and kissing her breathless.

"Hi." She said smiling up at him. "You're watching Michael?"

"Yeah." Jason grinned at his girlfriend. "Come sit on the couch with me." He sat and pulled her onto his lap. She was in shorts, since the last day was casual, and her legs were distracting him a bit. He was hoping that with summer here she would want to sleep over more often, he was also hoping that her staying more would lead to nocturnal activities other than slumbering. "Lucas was in a climbing accident."

"Oh no, was it bad?" Elizabeth would check on her friend when this conversation was over. Carly often talked about her brother. She knew that despite the geographic distance the siblings were close.

"Yeah. He's in the hospital. Carly and Sonny left for Seattle about an hour ago." Jason began explaining. "I agreed to keep Michael so that they can focus on Lucas and support Bobbie."

Elizabeth leaned forward and kissed Jason. His heart was so big. "You did the right thing. Michael isn't a distraction, but at the same time Carly needs to be there for her mom and brother, and Sonny needs to be there for Carly." Those things were easier to do if Michael wasn't with them.

"Leticia is on vacation. She called and told me that her cruise ship was docking at St. Thomas in two days and that she would fly back from there, but I said not too. I'm perfectly capable of watching Michael for however long this takes." Jason explained. He worked with great guys who would pitch in to help keep the territory running. "Would you like to stay with us? I'll understand if you'd rather not."

"Are you kidding? I love Michael." Elizabeth settled into Jason and he put his arms around her. "So what are we doing?"

"I thought tomorrow we could go to the park, and have a picnic. Michael likes the swings." Jason told her his plans.

"I can take him on the slide." Elizabeth was small enough to do that.

"I bet he would love that." Jason was going to have to bring a camera. He would send the pictures to his friends, to hopefully make them smile. "We can use the pool too. Michael has one of the floaters with a seat attachment." Like his parents the little boy loved the water.

"I'll need to go to my place and get my swimsuit." She hadn't ever used the pool here. Recently she started using the gym and the pool was right next door.

"It's a salt water pool and it's heated so I'm guessing you will like it. I'm not sure how long Michael will be here." Jason started slowly. "I was hoping you would stay more since school is finished." He linked their fingers.

"I'd really like that. And you misspoke earlier." Elizabeth said relaxing further.

"I did?" Jason had no idea what she meant.

"Yup, you said you were capable of taking care of Michael for as long as was needed. What you should have said was that we are capable of taking care of Michael." Elizabeth corrected him. "I'm not volunteering at the hospital this summer." After the dust up at the game and Leo's subsequent firing she cut back her volunteer shifts due to the gossip. "I'm not doing summer school either." Elizabeth was lucky enough that between her salary and her college fund, which she didn't have to use for school, she had that option. Jason normally took vacation during the summer and she wanted to have the time off to spend with him. She didn't expect him to take her anywhere, they could just hang out and ride the bike. Elizabeth just wanted to be with him. "So while you are holding down the business, Michael and I can hang out."

"Thank you. You are the most awesome girlfriend ever." Jason said kissing her again. As it went deeper Michael cries came across the monitor. "Sounds like someone doesn't want to take a nap." Jason grinned. He had heard about how babies had impeccable timing. "Let me go make sure he's okay."

"Actually you stay here and I'll go up." Elizabeth would be happy to help him get back to sleep.

"All his furniture is upstairs." Jason explained.

"Cool, I'll use the glider." Elizabeth said walking to the stairs.

"I'll plate up lunch, and we'll eat when you come back down." Jason let her know.

"Sounds good." Elizabeth smiled before heading up the stairs.

* * *

><p>Elizabeth went to her place after lunch and packed a bag with more clothes. The offer to spend more time at the penthouse wasn't unexpected, but it still left her warm hearing the words. Ritchie was in the living room watching television while she gathered up her things, and while she didn't want to keep him waiting she did take a minute to sit on the bed and think.<p>

Michael did eventually nap which allowed her and Jason to have a nice lunch on the terrace. They were cleaning up when the little guy started fussing again, so while she carried in the plates Jason went to get the baby. She was walking out of the kitchen when he came around the corner and the sight of him holding the child had butterflies fluttering in her tummy.

She wanted that with him. Wanted a family of their own.

It was too early to be thinking about kids. They hadn't even had sex yet. But the relationship she was building with Jason was so different than any she had before. He put a ring on her finger, he told her that he loved her, he wanted her staying over more often. And yes they would make love soon. All the signs were indicating that he was serious. So she was entitled to daydream a bit.

About a little boy with his father's hair, or a little girl with her father's eyes.

Of course they would need to talk first. She knew that Jason liked children, but that didn't mean he wanted some of his own. Kelly delivered babies almost every day and she didn't want any. Ever. Jason might not be looking for a family. He might think his lifestyle was too dangerous for kids. So she would need to ask him before those dreams went too far.

Grabbing the bag Elizabeth wheeled it out into the front room where Ritchie picked it up to take down to the car. She locked up her apartment and headed down as well.

* * *

><p>"Who's ready to go swimming?" Elizabeth asked coming into the temporary nursery.<p>

Downstairs on the couch Jason was blowing up Michael floater. At the sound of his girlfriend's voice Jason looked up at the monitor and smiled. She was really good with Michael. After she came back from her place he had to take a work call so he went into his office. When he was done and opened the door Elizabeth had Michael in her arms and was dancing him around the living room while she sang.

The little guy had the biggest smile on his face and his eyes were latched onto Elizabeth's face. Jason just leaned against the doorjamb and watched them. Imagining things was not his strong suit. With some guidance he could do it, but to think up something on his own was rare. But he could clearly see Elizabeth with their daughter. A little girl who was the spitting image of her mom and would absolutely have him wrapped around her finger.

He could see it, and he wanted it. The only thing he wanted more was for Elizabeth's last name to one day be Morgan. He had to stop and take a minute before he ran over and proposed. They weren't there yet. Marriage wasn't something you rushed into. He wanted to take this time to prove to the beautiful brunette that she was safe with him. That she, and one day their children, would always be safe with him.

Assuming she wanted kids, because they hadn't had that talk yet.

He was pulled back to the present by footsteps on the stairs. Elizabeth appeared holding a smiling Michael. This was the first time he was seeing her in a swimsuit. Well not the whole thing. He could see the top and her mid-section but her hips were covered by a sarong. "We are ready to get wet. Right Michael?"

The little boy babbled and grinned at Jason before holding up his arms.

Jason stood up and took the baby. "The floater is inflated so we can head down." He was in electric blue board shorts and a dark blue sleeveless t-shirt. When they got to the pool he would take off his top.

"Let's go then." Elizabeth grabbed the towels and the small group set out.

* * *

><p>"He's passed out." Jason said placing the monitor on his nightstand and then climbing into bed next to Elizabeth. "I think he had a good day. I hope he wasn't missing his parents too much."<p>

"He got really happy when they were on the phone." Elizabeth cuddled close and Jason put his arm around her. "We'll take loads of pictures and send them out tomorrow."

"It was good news that Lucas can fly out on Sunday." Jason was happy that Carly's brother was expected to make a full recovery, and after some physical therapy would walk without assistance.

"Tomorrow we need to go over to the Brownstone so they can bring the equipment that Lucas will need." Elizabeth had gotten a fax not long after the phone call detailing what was coming.

"That should only take a few hours. If you want you can take Michael to the park, while I do that." Jason suggested.

"Okay." Elizabeth agreed. "You can join us for a picnic after."

"Sounds good. I know Carly and Sonny are happy that they won't have to be away from Michael for too long. Since they are coming home would you like to go away somewhere?" Jason asked her.

"Should we wait to see if Sonny needs help? Leticia will still be on vacation." Elizabeth wanted to know.

"We'll check first." Jason said giving his girl a squeeze. "If he says they are fine, and I believe him." Jason said chuckling, Sonny would tell them to go because he didn't want to interfere with their time away. "Where would you like to go?"

"We don't have to leave Jason." Elizabeth told him. "I'm happy spending time here with you."

"I know, I feel the same way." Jason pulled her closer. "Away from Port Charles I can be fully focused on you. So where would you like to go? Anywhere in the world." The plane would be at their disposal.

"How about the island?" Elizabeth looked up at him. "Both Carly and Emily rave about it whenever they go. Would Sonny let us stay at his place?"

"I have a place of my own in the compound." Jason told her. "I've never taken anyone there I'd love for you to be the first."

"We can go down and stay for a bit." Elizabeth started planning.

"How long is a bit?" Jason asked curious.

"A week?" Elizabeth suggested.

"That sounds good, we can stay longer if you like." Jason countered. "I'd like to be home for Father's Day. Unless you want to spend Father's Day with your dad. We can fly out from the island."

"He isn't exactly in a place where visiting is advisable." Her parents were working in a war torn country, under sometimes dangerous conditions. She was so proud of the work they did. "But both my mom and dad will be coming home for a visit in August. There is talk of the whole family gathering in San Diego where Sarah and my Gram live. I'd like to go. It's been a while since I've seen everyone." Elizabeth felt it was time for a visit. "Would you like to come and meet them?" She asked softly.

"I'd love to." Jason wanted to meet her family, especially since his family adored her. "Why San Diego?"

"Geographically its almost dead center for our spread out clan. So it's easier for us to all gather in one place. The last time we all got together was in Austin when my Uncle Tom and my Aunt Simone lived there. Sarah was in Chicago at the time, finishing up medical school. I'll have one of the shortest flights to get there." Elizabeth was excited to introduce Jason to her family. "Thank you for letting me help this weekend." Elizabeth said looking up at him.

"Thank you for wanting to help. I like hanging out with Michael, and I love hanging out with you so it was a win all the way around for me." Jason said as they began circling around the topic he wanted to discuss.

"Michael is too adorable to resist. He's a really happy baby. I like children, which is a good thing since I'm a teacher." Elizabeth laughed a bit nervously.

"Do you, do you think that one day you might like to have a family of your own?" Jason's voice hitched a bit with his nerves. If she said no, it wouldn't be a deal breaker. He loved her that much, but seeing her with Michael had him hoping she said yes. Had him hoping she wanted that for them.

"I would like to have a family someday." Elizabeth looked up at him with eyes full of love. "It's too soon right now." The dark hid her blush. "But in a few years I'll be ready."

"Yeah it is too soon, but someday it won't be. A few years sounds perfect." Jason was blushing too, and his body was reacting to the conversation. Not to mention her closeness.

"When Carly and Sonny are back can we go get blood tests?" Elizabeth requested. "I get tested regularly anyway, but it's the responsible thing to do." She was bushing harder. She was on the pill and was going to stay on it to avoid accidents but she wanted Jason to know she was healthy.

"That sounds good. We'll go on Monday." Jason was going to suggest the same thing tomorrow. "Do you not want to use condoms?" They may as well get this out too.

"For now we should. In a few months we can stop." Elizabeth decided. She wasn't even ready for a pregnancy scare.

"Okay." Jason had no problem with that. "Can we change our travel plans?"

"You don't want to go to the island?" Elizabeth was open to suggestions.

"I do, I'd like to go for a month." Jason wanted as much uninterrupted time with her as he could get. "We can fly home for Father's Day, and then go back to the island."

"Okay. If there is anyone worth missing the fireworks for it's you." Elizabeth laughed.

"That may be the greatest declaration of love I've ever heard." Jason laughed too. If she wanted fireworks he would make sure she got some.

"Shoot Jason we can't go just yet." Elizabeth said looking up at him. They had gotten so carried away they forgot something. "Emily gets married on the 21st." The Sunday after Father's Day.

"Okay how about this? You let me take you on some bike rides after Sonny and Carly come home. Maybe a few day trips, like to Philly or Canada. Then after Emily's wedding we fly from the reception to the island and stay for a month."

"That will work." Elizabeth said smiling. "We should get some sleep. Michael will be awake in a few hours to eat."

"Yeah." Jason cuddled Elizabeth close. "Night baby." He was going to dream of his girl.

"Night Jason." Elizabeth closed her eyes and slipped into sleep dreaming of the life they were going to have together.

* * *

><p>Thank for the reviews!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. no copyright infringement is intended.

Not Safe for Work. Happy 4th of July!

There is a Polyvore outfit for this one shot.

* * *

><p>Fireworks!<p>

Jason smiled at Elizabeth as the gate to the compound rolled open. It had taken them longer then they planned, but they were finally on the island. Father's Day had been great with all three Quartermaine children making a fuss over their dad, and Elizabeth talking to her dad on the phone. The week after they had attended Emily and Dante's wedding, where his sister had made a stunning bride. Francis caught the garter and Kelly snagged the bouquet. Elizabeth had stayed over that night because early the next morning they were flying out.

Only a midnight phone call had changed everything.

When the sun came up instead of putting their bags in the car, they were sleeping in the waiting room of General Hospital waiting on word of Edward's condition. He was undergoing an emergency quadruple bypass. Thankfully Jason's grandfather had come through the procedure with flying colors, but they just didn't feel right leaving just then. Emily and Dante even postponed their honeymoon. The family pulled together to support Edward and Lila through this dark hour.

Monica was the one who finally told the children to leave. Going so far as to present Emily and Dante with plane tickets because AJ was taking the jet back to London. To get Jason and Elizabeth on their way Monica enlisted Sonny's help, he assured her the Corinthos Morgan jet was on standby.

"So far everything has been beautiful." Elizabeth smiled over at Jason as they drove onto the grounds of the private retreat. Jason looked relaxed for the first time in weeks.

"You haven't really seen that much." Jason smiled. He had originally planned to take them on a tour of the island before coming to the compound but it was late so Elizabeth wouldn't see much, tomorrow they could go exploring.

"That's not true. I saw tall trees, and bushes with large pink blooms, and we saw that creature that ran across the road." Elizabeth said grinning. Luckily the lights of the car scared it out of harm's way. "But the best thing I've seen since we arrived is you smiling."

Jason parked in the garage. "Thank you for the past two weeks." He said turning off the car and leaning against the headrest. "I was afraid we were going to lose grandfather."

"I know." Elizabeth raised Jason's hand and rubbed her cheek across the back. "I was too. I've come to adore your grandfather."

"I have no idea how my mother held it together enough to operate." Jason had been amazed by her strength.

"It's what she does." Elizabeth had heard Monica say that she had been terrified, but wasn't going to lose Edward. "Come into the house." She said unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the convertible. There was only a one hour difference between here and New York, so it wasn't midnight here yet. "Are you hungry?"

"Nope. Tired though." Jason admitted. Sleep had been hard for him. Lots of late nights spent thinking heavy thoughts. This time away would be good. He popped the trunk and grabbed the large bags while Elizabeth grabbed the smaller ones.

He unlocked the door and disabled the alarm. "Welcome to my house."

"Wow." From the front entrance you could see clear through the lower level to the glass wall framing a moonlight ocean. "That view is stunning."

"The same view is in the master suite." Jason said locking up behind them. The compound was patrolled but he still wasn't taking any chances.

"The large house we passed is Sonny and Carly's?" Elizabeth guessed.

"Yeah. Sonny said that we should feel free to raid his movie collection." Jason had the codes to the house. "I used to stay there before I had this built, so I know where everything is."

"Why would you watch a movie when you could look at that?" Elizabeth waved her hand at the water.

Jason totally understood her reasoning. "The island is in hurricane alley." He explained. "So sometimes you don't get that view."

"I bet even the storms are spectacular." Elizabeth said softly.

"I think so." Jason had sat here on many a night and watched a storm roll in. "It's not hurricane season now, but if we come down during that period we'll be safe here. The house is built to withstand a class five storm."

"I know you wouldn't take me somewhere that I'll get hurt." Elizabeth said looking over her shoulder at him. Even being here completely alone with him she knew she was safe. That he wouldn't ever force her to do anything she didn't want to. It was why she felt safe sleeping with him. Even though being curled up together all night had Jason's body reacting he never pushed her to move their relationship to a physical level.

"No, I wouldn't." Jason promised. "Let's go upstairs and crash. In the morning we can do whatever you like."

"Sounds good." Elizabeth picked up the luggage she was responsible for and followed Jason through the house.

* * *

><p>Opening her eyes the next morning the first thing Elizabeth saw was the blue sky, and even bluer water. There was no way that couldn't invigorate a person. Rolling over she found the bed empty. She was sitting up when Jason came back in the room. "You're up. I made you some coffee."<p>

"Thanks." Elizabeth took the mug. "So what is the first thing you do when you come to the island?" She wanted to know.

"I go out to the beach." Jason said sitting next to her hip. She was in a deep blue sleep shirt and looked beautiful. He loved how soft she looked first thing in the morning. "I have been known to come down and not leave the compound at all. Unless I'm down for business. Then the first thing I do is head to the casino."

"I think some time on the beach would be lovely." Elizabeth had gone shopping with Emily for some new suits. The newly married couple were honeymooning in Belize and Em wanted some sexy swimwear. Elizabeth had felt a bit daring and picked up suits that showed more skin than she normally flashed. Now all she had to do was be brave enough to wear them.

"There is plenty to do on the island. I'd like to show it to you." Jason didn't want her to miss out on the local attractions.

"How about this? How about we go to the beach now, and then after lunch you take me somewhere." Elizabeth compromised.

"And tonight. I'd like to take you out tonight." Jason leaned in and kissed her. He'd never had a woman who made his happiness a priority.

"I did pack some clothes for going out." Elizabeth had relied on Carly's help for that. The blonde had been only too happy to come over and go through Elizabeth's wardrobe. It was something fun to take her mind off of her brother's struggles. Lucas was battling a bit of depression which was normal after such a major injury, and Carly was trying to get his spirits up.

"I'm sure you'll be beautiful." Jason said kissing her again. "I'll get changed while you finish your coffee, and you can join me downstairs when you're ready."

"Sounds good." Elizabeth said leaning back against the headboard. Jason didn't take long to change and she very much appreciated the sight of him in his dark blue board shorts and no shirt. That outfit was making the case for not ever leaving the house.

Taking her turn in the bathroom Elizabeth showered, brushed her teeth, and donned her suit. She did a spin and checked her reflection from all angles. "I'm gonna need a whole lot of sunblock." She murmured and then grinned. Sunblock that her boyfriend could help apply. Grabbing her cover up she went to find Jason. "I'm ready." She said putting her mug in the sink next to his. She had a tote thrown over her shoulder with beach essentials.

Without speaking Jason held out his hand to her. When she took it he grabbed the blanket he had pulled out of the closet. "Did you want something to eat?"

"Nope." Elizabeth said sliding on her sunglasses. "I want to feel the ocean between my toes."

"Then we better go down to the beach." Jason smiled leading the way.

"Last year I never would have imagined that I would be spending the Fourth of July on a private island with my hunky boyfriend." Elizabeth remarked as the sand warmed the bottom of her feet.

"Hunky?" Jason said laughing.

"Sweetie, you have the body of a Greek god." Elizabeth laughed as he blushed.

"The holiday isn't celebrated down here." Jason said pointing to a spot and when she nodded he spread out the blanket. He was totally ignoring her comment. "Will you miss the festivities?"

"I'll miss the fireworks some, but not enough to wish I was in Port Charles. Here I have you all to myself." She grinned as he sat down. When he looked over she opened her cover up and let it float down to the sand. She made a big deal of keeping her gaze on the water while waiting for his opinion.

Jason let his eyes roam from her feet, all the way up to her face before heading back down. At the Towers she wore two piece suits, but they were pretty modest. Covering a good amount of skin. Here, though, she was being daring. There was a good chance he would drown if he had to follow her into the water. "New suit?" He asked shifting to find a more comfortable position to sit in. He was hard as a spike.

"I got it for the trip." Elizabeth gave him a smile that had a bit of shyness to it. "You like it?"

"Very much." Jason grinned. "You have sunblock right?" He totally forgot, and for her beautiful skin to burn would be a crime.

"In my bag." Elizabeth pointed. She noticed he didn't move to get it. Nope he kept his eyes on her in her tiny, red heart print bikini. Money well spent. She figured he would like the green, and pink polka dot ones as well. "Would you put some on my back?" She asked sitting beside him on the blanket.

He didn't look away as he reached out, patted the blanket before finding the tote, and pulling out the bottle. "Turn around." His voice was a bit rough with his rising desire.

"Okay." Elizabeth did and then looked over her shoulder. "Do me and then I'll do you." She said knowing her words could have another meaning all together.

Jason swallowed hard and began to wonder if he was going to relax at all on this vacation.

* * *

><p>"That was so much fun." Elizabeth laughed as they ran back to the blanket from the ocean. "The water is so warm."<p>

"It's like that year round. I'll have to bring you in the winter." Jason figured she would like that.

"Is it always this blue?" It reminded her of his eyes.

"Always." He thought it looked like her eyes. He rolled to his back and propped himself up on his elbows. "When I come down I start every morning off with a swim."

"Alone?" Elizabeth said looking over at him. He was just too sexy.

"I have one of the guards spot me." Jason knew it wasn't safe to swim alone. Especially not in the ocean.

"Guards?" Elizabeth said looking back up to the house. She had totally forgotten that they weren't really alone. "They can't see us now can they?" This suit was for him only. She wasn't even going to wear it back home.

"No." Jason promised her, feeling her uneasiness. "They don't come to the house unless called, or an unknown vessel approaches from the water."

"How will they know?" She didn't see any cameras.

"The buoys out there." He pointed. "Have motion detectors on the tops. If something activates one the guards come have a look. Usually it's just a fish leaping out of the water. They would call before coming down."

"Okay." Elizabeth said relaxing again. She stretched out and put her head on Jason's shoulder. "The sun feels good."

"You feel good." He whispered. She tilted her head up and he covered her lips with his. He rolled a bit and with his hand behind her head helped her down to the blanket. Taking the kiss deeper he left his hand caress her curves before resting on her hip. With the sun warming them he kissed her until the need for oxygen forced them apart. "You're like my own personal nereid."

"Jason." Elizabeth blushed. "I'm hardly a goddess."

"If I'm a Greek god then you, my beautiful one, are my goddess." He said softly. He linked their fingers. "Where is your ring?"

"In the house. I didn't want to lose it in the water." Her hand felt naked without it.

"If you lose it, I'll replace it." He assured her.

"I don't want to lose it." She said putting her arms around his neck. "I want to one day pass it down."

"If you are starting that tradition, I will need to buy you more pieces." Jason kissed her softly. "I want to make sure you have enough for all our children." He said before kissing her more aggressively.

She gave herself over to the magic of his lips. Arching up to bring their torsos into further contact. Against her hip she could feel his erection and wanted to know what it would feel like to have him moving deep inside her. More and more she was thinking of them in intimate terms. Here on the island would be a wonderful place to consummate their relationship. In this place he hadn't ever shared with anyone else.

Ending the kiss Jason placed his forehead against hers. "You make me feel powerful." He said opening his eyes and letting her see into his soul. "Like before you came I had no clue what it meant to be a man."

"Jason." Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears. He gave her the words so effortlessly. "I love you. More with each passing day. I'm so proud that I can give you my heart."

There wasn't anything else to say so Jason simply pulled her into his arms and they laid together in the morning sun.

* * *

><p>It was Elizabeth's skin starting to tingle that got them heading back into the house. They used the outdoor shower to get off the sand before heading into the cool interior of the structure. She showered in their bedroom while Jason got clean down the hall. He knocked when he was done. "Elizabeth?"<p>

"Come in." Elizabeth responded slipping into her sandals.

"How are you feeling?" He was worried.

"I'm fine. The shower cooled me right down. I applied some lotion with SPF." Elizabeth loved that he worried about her. "I think tomorrow I need to apply more sunblock after getting out of the water. Or pick up something better than what I used today." The bottle said waterproof so maybe she needed something stronger.

"We can stop in town." Jason told her. "You look pretty."

"Thanks. Another new purchase. Emily said that most places here on the island are pretty casual, but a few restaurants are dressy. This sundress should work no matter what." Elizabeth was wearing a sleeveless pink polka dot dress with a sweetheart neckline. The belted middle showed off her tiny waist and the skirt flared a bit on the bottom.

"You look beautiful." He assured her. Being with him would make it so they got into any restaurant on the island she wanted to dine at. "Will you be comfortable walking around in those?" He pointed to her platform sandals.

"Yup. They are really comfy, and I'm bringing these for dinner." She picked up her heels from the bed. "I'll leave them in the car while we are walking around."

"Sounds like we are all set." Jason was in linen pants and a loose button down shirt with dark blue sneakers.

"So where are we going?" Elizabeth asked as he placed her bag in the back seat of the convertible and slid into her seat as Jason held the door open.

"I'm taking you somewhere you will love." Jason said cryptically sliding behind the wheel. "We will have guards." He wanted her to know before they left. "I have to take them with me while we are here." With so many tourists on the island precautions were necessary because he wasn't taking any risks with her safety.

"That's fine." Elizabeth promised. She never wanted him to feel he had to apologize for his life. "We should leave, because my curiosity is going to get the best of me soon."

"We can't have that." Jason smirked. Her acceptance of all the parts of his life amazed him.

* * *

><p>Jason held her hand in his as they walked to a large building with no outward clues to what was inside. At the door he handed over the tickets the guards had picked up when he said he was coming down. During the countless times he had been on the island he had not done any of the typical touristy things. Even if he had, he doubted he would have come here. But he knew Elizabeth would love it, so here they were.<p>

They waited for the attendant to open the main door before they, and two guards who would discreetly follow them walked into the darkened interior. "When the light comes on you can enter." They were told as the front door closed. Thirty seconds later a green light lit the area and Jason held open the door.

A soft blast of cool air greeted them, and remained on until the door was closed. Looking around Elizabeth saw all manner of tropical plants on either side of a stone walkway. It was a bit on the warm side, but not uncomfortable. She wondered if her remark last night about the plants had inspired him to bring her to a hot house. Although this place was huge for that purpose.

They walked a very short distance listening to water flowing. In fact there wasn't any other sounds other than the water. She took in all the beautiful plants, simply enjoying the view. They took the first turn and she gasped in delight. "Oh!"

Jason just smiled.

Butterflies, everywhere she looked there were butterflies. She'd never seen so many in one place.

"We can't touch them, but they do fly around and might land on you." Jason told her. "It's supposed to be a sign of good luck if they do. There are legends along the path to tell us what kind of butterfly we are looking at."

"Thank you." Elizabeth gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before they started walking again. Slowly they moved along the path and when a butterfly caught her eye they would stop and find it on the posted legend.

They were at one such stop when the guard cleared his throat. Jason looked over the guard smiled and pointed to Elizabeth's shoulder. "There's a butterfly on you." Jason whispered.

Afraid to scare it off Elizabeth looked from the corner of her eye and saw the bright colors. "What kind is it?"

"It's a Tiger Swallowtail." Jason quickly located its name.

"Jason, there's a butterfly on you too." Elizabeth said thrilled.

"What kind?" Jason was actually enjoying himself.

"A Zebra Longwing." She said pointing to the picture. "I guess we are both lucky then."

"That would explain how I got you." He said flirting.

Elizabeth giggled as both butterflies took off. "Let's keep walking and see if we find more luck."

Before they left every member of their group had at least one butterfly land on them with Jason getting the most as four of the insects landed on him. "I guess you could say you are getting lucky?" Elizabeth whispered watching as Jason's eyes darkened.

He wasn't going to read anything into her statement, but boy did he hope.

Dinner was somewhere casual, but they did dine overlooking the water. After they walked around downtown looking in the shop windows. "Can we head home now?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

"Absolutely. Unless you want to go to the casino?" Jason offered. "They have several shows going now."

"Maybe another night, before we leave for California." Elizabeth suggested.

"Just let me know when." Jason said kissing her hand as they walked back to where he parked the car. They were quiet during the drive back and at the house Elizabeth excused herself and ran upstairs. Looking at the water Jason wondered if his girl would walk with him on the beach later, he had another surprise for her and down by the water would be a great vantage point.

"Jason?" Elizabeth called down. "Can you come up?"

Instead of answering, he trotted up the steps. "Hi." She was standing next to the bed, wearing a short silk nightgown of the palest pink.

"Hi." Elizabeth said biting her lower lip. She hadn't ever invited a guy to bed so she wasn't exactly sure what she should say. But this was her guy, and whatever words she used would be perfect. "Will you come to bed with me?" She asked her voice shaking just a bit.

"I would love to." Jason's voice shook a bit as well. He didn't need to ask if she was sure. He could see it in her eyes. "If you want to stop say so." He said after walking over and standing in front of her.

"I don't." Elizabeth assured him as she lifted her hands and began to unbutton his shirt. "I want this. I want to be with you." She softly confessed as she opened the garment and pushed it over his shoulders. "I've had problems before." She felt he should know that.

"I want to be with you too." Jason responded before letting his lips gently touch hers. "I love you baby." He said against her lips before once against taking the lush offerings. "What came before doesn't matter. Whatever happens tonight will be enough." He told her before kissing her again. The last thing he wanted was for the worry he would be disappointed.

Elizabeth moaned and when Jason's tongue swiped across her lower lip she opened inviting him inside. His hands on her hips urged her closer and she felt his erection push against her. This was a common occurrence when they kissed, but tonight she let her hand drift down his chest until she was holding him. Taking the time to learn his shape and size.

Jason pulled his mouth from hers and gulped for air. "That feels so good." He said kissing her neck just needing his lips on her.

Elizabeth pressed harder against him and Jason groaned loudly. "Can I take off your pants?"

"Yes." He was glad to be wearing loose pants, in his jeans this would have been painful.

She pushed the material over his hips and as he stepped out she gripped him again. "You're hot." Even through the cotton of his shorts she could feel that.

"You do that to me." Jason said kissing her again. His fingers moved across the silk nightie that was warmed from laying on her soft skin. With his hands on the straps he paused seeing if she would stop him, and when she didn't he slipped them over her shoulders. Lifting his mouth he looked into her eyes that were so dark they almost looked black before looking down her body. "Beautiful." He said reverently taking in how perfectly she was formed.

She blushed with his praise. "Touch me?" She requested. His hands on her was something she had dreamed off.

Jason didn't need that invitation extended twice. Gently he covered her breasts feeling the hardened nipples on his palm. He plumped the soft mounds before tugging slightly on the taut peaks.

"Mmm." Elizabeth closed her eyes in pleasure.

Still touching her Jason kissed her shoulder, then her collarbone before moving to the upper swell of her breast finally taking her into his mouth and sucking. Her fingers tightened in his hair as he switched breasts. He sucked harder on this second mound and nipped her with his teeth before soothing the sting when she moaned again he knew she was still enjoying herself. Without lifting his head he walked her back until she hit the bed. Rising up he took her mouth in a scorching kiss. "I'm going to take off my shorts."

Elizabeth nodded eager to see him. As soon as the black cotton was out of the way, her hand wrapped around his rigid shaft. Looking up she saw his head was tipped back, with his eyes closed and he was panting.

"Hold me tighter." Jason begged. He would stop her in a bit but this felt amazing.

She did kissing his chest to heighten his pleasure.

"Stop." He said covering her hand with his. A few more strokes and he would have exploded. "Can I take these off?" He asked as his fingers touched the top of her panties. She nodded and tucked under his chin as he pushed the damp material out of the way.

"I need to lie down." Her whole body was trembling in anticipation.

"Me too." Jason confessed. He knelt on the bed and lowered her down coming over her. She hooked her leg over his hip opening her body to his and he was powerless to not push against her. "You're wet for me." He said the smile clear in his voice.

"I need you." Elizabeth said arching so that their chests touched. "Please."

Jason rolled off and grabbed a condom. His hands shook as he sheathed himself. "Open your eyes." He needed to see her. Looking down he saw love and trust. Lining them up, he pushed inside her accepting body.

"Don't stop." Elizabeth moaned.

"I won't." Jason promised, but he wasn't going to rush either. She was tight around his cock, and he was worried that he would hurt her if he moved too quickly. Rocking slowly he inched inside her tight core. By the time he was fully seated they were both shaking and panting. "Okay?"

"Yes." Elizabeth said smiling. "It's perfect." They fit like two halves of a whole.

Jason touched his forehead to hers and began to move. Long slow strokes giving them the most pleasure possible. He didn't rush their climb to the peak. He watched everything she was feeling come across her face. He knew that she could see what he was feeling on his.

She had never felt this beautiful in her life. Lying here under Jason with his body deep inside hers was so incredibly intimate. Every time he pulled back she felt empty then he would come into her again. Filling her body. Her heart. Her soul. The connection strengthened with each stroke until she couldn't tell her heartbeat from the pulse of his against her inner muscles. His eyes showed her everything he was feeling and that in turn pushed her even higher.

"Jason!" Elizabeth said pushing against him urging him to move faster. She was so close.

Knowing he couldn't last much longer, he was simply feeling too much to hold on, he reached between them and opened her so that he could stimulate her pearl. "Come for me Elizabeth." He said on a harsh whisper. "Give me your pleasure and let me give you mine." His release was pressing down on him and he needed her to climax.

"Yes!" She gave her whole self over to the power of their joining. Above her she heard Jason groan as he pushed harder still against her.

She squeezed him tight and Jason simply stopped fighting and came inside the condom. He was trembling when the world came back into focus and Elizabeth was lying beneath him with her eyes closed and smile on her face. Gently he separated them. "Are you okay." He checked.

"I am amazing." Elizabeth rolled and tucked herself under his chin. "And you?"

"Pretty amazing myself." He said kissing her neck and letting his hand slide down her back. "Let me get us a cloth." Jason said not moving. He didn't want to leave her. "In a minute." He finally said. When her arms came tight around him he knew she wasn't ready for him to move either. So he laid down with her in his arms and held her tight.

* * *

><p>At ten he bundled her into a robe and he slipped his pants back on. He led them out onto the balcony and took a seat pulling her onto his lap. He told her he had a surprise planned. As they sat there the night sky exploded into a brilliant shower of red, followed by blue, and then green.<p>

"Fireworks!" Elizabeth laughed. "I thought they didn't celebrate the holiday here?"

"They don't, but you can't have the Fourth without fireworks." Jason smiled at her.

She got that he did this for her. They sat in silence watching the colors and when the show was over she clapped in delight. "Thank you." She said kissing Jason. "What do you say to making more fireworks of our own?"

Without a word Jason picked her up and carried her back inside.

* * *

><p>Thanks for the reviews, the follows, and the favorites!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

><p>We Are Family<p>

"I'm so excited!" Elizabeth said smiling at her boyfriend.

"Really, I couldn't tell." Jason deadpanned. His girl was damn near vibrating. She'd practically bounced out of bed this morning. He had worried she would explode at some point during the nearly seven hour flight.

Elizabeth just grinned again. "I know. It's just that I haven't seen anyone in my family in forever."

"You don't have to go this long without seeing them again. The plane is at your disposal." Jason told her.

Elizabeth just scoffed. "Yeah, like I'm going to call Sonny and say I need to use the plane I want to go see my sister."

"No, you wouldn't do that." Jason laughed at her. "You would just tell me, and I'll call the flight crew. I need at least a day's notice for checks and such."

"You're serious." Elizabeth realized.

"Of course I am." Jason grinned. "I own half the business, which means I can use the plane whenever I want. If our jet isn't available the Quartermaine's have a jet as well. I know AJ wouldn't care if you used it." While it was owned by ELQ, the family used it all the time. "Baby, if you want to see your family then you can."

"Thank you Jason." Elizabeth leaned forward and kissed him. "You are too good to me."

Jason kept her close with a hand on the back of her head. "There is no such thing." He said kissing her again.

"Are you nervous about meeting my family?" She cuddled close and put her arms around him.

"Nope. Either they will like me or they won't." Jason didn't really care which happened, but it would be easier if her family liked him. Otherwise Elizabeth would be upset.

"It won't make a difference in how I feel about you." Elizabeth assured him. With the family so spread out, if they didn't get along Jason wouldn't have to see them except at major family events. "I think Sarah is meeting us at the airport."

"I rented a car for us, so we can follow her back to her place. How crowded is it going to be?" Jason wasn't used to staying with a lot of people around him. He hardly ever stayed at the mansion for that reason.

"We can get a hotel room, if it's too crowded for you." Elizabeth told him. "No one will be offended. I think, aside from us, only my brother and his wife and my parents are staying with Sarah. My Gram doesn't live with my sister. She has a condo not too far away."

"The house is fine." He wasn't going to change the plans now. He had guys in the area, who were expecting him to stay with Elizabeth's sister. While he wasn't anticipating any problems he also wasn't going to be lax about Elizabeth's safety, or the safety of her family. "Will we be spending the entire week with your family?"

"Nope, I already told Sarah I planned on playing tourist some. I've never been to San Diego and I want to see some of it." Elizabeth also knew Jason would need a break.

"We could go to the zoo, and feed the giraffes." Jason liked giraffes.

"You can do that?" Elizabeth said looking up at him and smiling. Jason nodded. "Then we will."

"We will be landing shortly, please take your seats and buckle up." The pilot's voice came over the intercom. "It is seventy-seven degrees and a clear day. In other words typical San Diego weather."

"Yay!" Elizabeth said letting Jason go to buckle up.

Jason was laughing as he did the same.

* * *

><p>"LIZZIE!" Sarah shouted and ran over giving her sister a big hug. "You're here!"<p>

"I am!" Elizabeth was bouncing and hugging on her sister as well. "I can't wait to see my nephew and nieces."

"They are excited to see you. Well Devon and Patty are excited." The twins were five and talked to their aunt on the computer. "The other one is too young to care." Sarah said laughing. "Oh my gosh, Lizzie you are practically glowing."

"I'm happy." Elizabeth admitted.

"Does the blonde hunk have something to do with that?" Sarah said in a loud whisper.

"He certainly does." Elizabeth beamed.

"I want details." Sarah said in a quieter whisper. There would definitely be a night of ice cream and giggling in their future. It had been too long since they dished about guys.

"Hi, I'm Cooper Barrett, Sarah's husband." He said extending his hand to Jason.

"Jason Morgan, Elizabeth's boyfriend." Jason shook the offered hand.

"Can I help you with the bags? They are most likely going to be awhile." Cooper said smiling at the two ladies.

"The bags are being handled." One of the crew would load them onto a trolley and bring the bags in shortly.

"One of the perks of a private plane." Cooper grinned. "That and no waiting to board." He tried to take a charter plane if he had to travel on business. "So you're in coffee?"

"Yeah." Jason scanned the area and spotted all four of his guys. Being in the terminal made him twitchy. It was just too open, normally he had the car meet him on the tarmac. "And you?" He didn't really like small talk, but he knew it was expected.

"Military consultant." Cooper told Jason.

"Jason, this is Sarah." Elizabeth pulled her sister over to where the guys were talking. "Sarah this is Jason Morgan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lizzie has talked a lot about you." Sarah really liked the way they looked together.

"She talks a lot about you as well." Jason smiled.

"Oh boy." Sarah said dramatically. "I don't know if that is a good thing or not." She said before laughing. "Come on, we need to head out. I had to duct tape mom and dad to the furniture to keep them from coming with me."

"Is Steven here yet?" Elizabeth missed her brother.

"He arrived about two hours ago." Sarah said looping her arm through her sister, while the guys followed behind them. "So what was the weather in Port Charles like when you left?" Sarah remembered summers as being humid and hard on the hair.

"We left a month ago." Elizabeth told her sister.

"Where did you go?" Sarah said as they left the private plane terminal and entered the main hub. "Jason which rental company did you use?"

"The car is out front." Jason told his hostess.

"Okay." Sarah said winking at her sister. Sarah had visited the small town in upstate New York only a few times during her Gram's time there, and only once while Lizzie was living there full time. While she heard the name Jason Quartermaine often she hadn't ever met him. She did know about the accident, and the new persona. As long as he was good to her sister Sarah wasn't going to judge. "You guys can load up the car and then drive us to ours."

"Just agree, it's easier." Cooper laughed at his wife. "Sarah is used to giving orders and having them followed. It's what happens when you were a top notch cardio thoracic surgeon."

Sarah glared at her hubby while Elizabeth snorted. "Sarah was born pushy."

"Jason I will be sure to tell you some good stories about Lizzie while you are here." Sarah said before sticking her tongue out and making her sister laugh.

"You won't need to. I'm sure Steven is dying to." Elizabeth said as they stepped out in the warm sunshine. This was going to be a great week.

* * *

><p>"There she is!" Jeff Webber came over and lifted his youngest daughter right off her feet. "Just as beautiful as I remember." Liz took after him in terms of coloring. Dark hair and darker blue eyes.<p>

"And short, don't forget that." Steven called from inside the house.

"Hi daddy." Elizabeth squeezed him tight and blinked back tears.

"Are you going to let her go? I'd like to hug her too." Carolyn asked her husband.

"Fine." Jeff mock grumped.

"Hi sweetheart." Carolyn just let having her youngest child in her arms warm her. "I've missed you." They Skyped as often as possible but it just wasn't the same. "You look happy."

"I am." Elizabeth got her height from her mom. They were the two short ones in a family of tall folks.

"Who's the hunk?" Carolyn whispered making her daughter laugh.

Jason walked up onto the porch as Steven and his wife Olivia came out followed by her Gram.

"Let's go inside." Elizabeth knew Jason wouldn't want to stand on the porch with his back to the street. When they got into the living room she started the introductions. "Everyone this is Jason Morgan." Elizabeth introduced her guy to the rest of the family. "Jason these are my parents Jeff and Carolyn."

"Dr. Webber." Jason shook Jeff's hand first. "Dr. Webber." He then shook Carolyn's.

"Don't be so formal." Jeff invited. "First names are fine. How are your parents?"

"They are good." Jeff had at one time worked at General Hospital, and dated Monica before Alan stole her away. "I will tell them you asked."

"This is Steven and Olivia." Elizabeth moved her to her brother.

"Steven." Jason shook the hand of the older blonde.

"It's nice to meet you. Where did Lizzie find you?" Steven wanted to know.

"He's not a stray Steven." Olivia elbowed her husband. "Forgive him."

"My sister introduced us." Jason told the room.

"This is my Gram." Elizabeth walked over and hugged her grandmother. She had missed the older woman.

"Well done." Audrey told her granddaughter. She might be older but she had eyes.

"Gram!" Elizabeth said blushing and laughing. You never know what a member of her family might say.

"Mrs. Hardy it's a pleasure to meet you. My parents speak of you often." Jason said smiling.

"He's good." Audrey said as the ladies of the family just nodded. "You are younger version of your grandfather. That man is a terror. Lila certainly has her hands full."

"Lila has mentioned there are more than a few rogues in the Morgan family tree." Elizabeth told the room as Jason dropped her a wink.

"Anyway." Steven said rolling his eyes. "When are the munchkins getting up?"

"In about an hour." Sarah looked at Liz. "I told Steven he couldn't have any cookies until snack time."

"I'll show you to your room." Cooper said grabbing some bags.

"Steven help." Carolyn instructed. "You too Jeff."

"Come on boys, the womenfolk want to talk." Jeff said grabbing a bag.

With the men gone Carolyn held out her hand. "Let's see it." She had spotted the ring out on the porch.

Elizabeth held out hers as well.

"Swans." Olivia said sighing. Steven was the love of her life, but romance wasn't his strong suit.

"They mate for life." Audrey pointed out admiring the ring. It was the perfect size for her granddaughter's hand.

"That's what he said when he gave it to me." Elizabeth smiled wide and wiggled her fingers. "He put in the bottom of my Easter basket."

"Dang, and I thought Cooper had some moves." Sarah said impressed. "I'm so happy for you."

"Me too." Carolyn beamed.

"While the guys are upstairs Lizzie can tell us about the month she just spent on Jason's private island." Sarah said grinning.

"Jason owns it with his partner." Elizabeth cleared up. "And hell yeah, I'm gonna tell you about. But we need chocolate."

"I brought a big box, it's in the kitchen. Don't skimp on the details dear. We want to hear everything." Audrey said with a wicked grin. "Especially the parts about Jason and swim trunks."

All the ladies laughed as they moved further into the house.

* * *

><p>Dinner was loud, and fun. Jason didn't talk much but he did enjoy sitting around the table. Where the Quartermaine's argued, the WebberHardy family joked and told embarrassing stories about one another. Steven and his cousin Tom Jr. got picked on a lot. Apparently they spent most of their childhood and adolescence up to no good in Boulder. Sarah was remembered as the social butterfly who had a ton of friends, and Elizabeth was the daredevil.

Jason heard a lot of stories of Elizabeth climbing trees, and skateboarding. She liked to hike in the woods, and camp out. Elizabeth was the first of the Webber children to jump from the rope swing into the lake by her grandparent's cabin. She was the one who told the scariest stories around the campfire. The one who at fourteen wanted to experience something new so she asked to move to New York and live with her Gram. She also had a big heart, always bringing home injured animals. Carolyn swore Lizzie was going to be the first veterinarian in the family.

"Why not?" Jason asked his girl.

"At ten I learned veterinarians also put animals to sleep when our dog Buster had to be put down." Elizabeth told her boyfriend. That was the end of that dream.

"I can bring over some albums tomorrow if you like?" Audrey offered.

"Thank you, but I can't see pictures." Jason told her, and the rest of the family.

"Why not?" Steven asked as the family turned their gazes to the blonde young man sitting next to Lizzie. With so many doctors in the house a statement like that got attention.

"Frontal lobe damage from a car accident." Jason explained.

"We heard about the accident, but I didn't realized that was one of the outcomes. Is it just pictures?" Steven wanted to know.

"Jason, you don't have to answer if you don't want to." Elizabeth arched an eyebrow at her brother. "They will have you on the table for an exam if you don't stop them."

Sarah laughed. "Yup, I can have needles here for blood work in a jiffy." She grinned.

"It's okay." Jason assured his girl. "All two dimensional images. No memories before waking up in the hospital, an inability to lie or imagine things, and a complete personality change." He explained.

Elizabeth didn't think that last one was one hundred percent accurate. Lila had shared memories of JQ, so had Monica and Emily. He had a lot in common with her Jason. Both were kind, and smart. Both had a love of family, and were fiercely loyal and protective. All the good qualities had remained. It was just that JQ was more of an extrovert, while JM was more of an introvert, unless he trusted you.

"I bet your chart is fascinating." Steven was a trauma surgeon like his Uncle Tom. No doubt the two of them would discuss this later.

"I need some air. Jason take a walk with me." Jeff kissed his wife's cheek before standing up.

"Sure thing." Jason got that what the older man had said was not a request.

"I survived, you'll be fine." Cooper assured him. "Jeff has a bad knee, you can outrun him."

"Smartass." Jeff said shaking his head. "Come on Jason." He walked out of the dining room and as expected the younger man followed.

* * *

><p>They walked completely around the block before and ended up sitting on the front porch before Jeff started. "Tell me why you think you are good enough for my youngest girl?" It was the same type of question he asked Cooper, when Sarah brought him home. Jeff looked over and saw Jason was frowning. "You don't like being questioned?"<p>

"It's a trick question. I don't like those." Jason answered shrugging.

"How so?" Jeff asked leaning back in his chair.

"If I say I'm not good enough, you are going to think I'm being falsely modest in order to get your approval. If I give a reason I am good enough you will think I'm a pompous ass." Jason told the older man.

Jeff laughed. "Answer the question anyway." This should be interesting.

"I'm not good enough for her. Not even close." Jason did as requested. "But I love her and I am blessed to be able to say she loves me."

"Good answer." Jeff let the silence settle some. "I am a firm believer that a man isn't his occupation unless he sets out to be. I know what you do Jason, I also know what it is you allegedly do." Jeff paused again. "Tell me you are doing everything you can to keep her safe."

"Will that be enough for you?" Jason looked over at Elizabeth's father.

"I have seen evil hide behind a smile. So yeah it will." Jeff had seen a lot in his time with Doctors without Borders. He had also sat in court while the man people considered an upstanding businessman and member of the community was put on trial for hurting Elizabeth.

"I give you my word." Jason said taking out his phone and typing. "Look down the street."

As Jeff watched a man appeared out of the shadows. "He work for you?"

Jason waved and the guy seemed to vanish. "He does. There is another person that way." He pointed down the opposite end of the block. "Tomorrow the day shift takes over. I never take her safety for granted. I would also never intentionally hurt your daughter." Jason promised.

"Good to know. Let's go back in before Steven eats all the blueberry cobbler." Jeff believed every word that Jason said. Not because the younger man said he couldn't lie, but because of the way he spoke. While life might throw bad things at them Jason would do his best to keep Lizzie safe.

* * *

><p>"Did you and my dad have a good talk?" Elizabeth asked Jason as they settled into the bedroom at her sister's house. It turned out that Steven and Olivia were staying with Audrey since the new baby took up the fifth bedroom.<p>

"We did. I like your dad." Jason said pulling his girl into his arms. "Your whole family seems nice."

"Wait until tomorrow." Elizabeth said snuggling close. She was exhausted. Flying across time zones was hitting her hard. Luckily the other members of the family were feeling it to, so this first night together ended early.

"What happens tomorrow?" Jason wanted to know.

"We break into teams, and play games." Elizabeth was nodding off.

Jason found himself wondering how wild that was going to be. Chuckling he settled down to get some sleep, because it sounded like he would need it.

* * *

><p>Early the next morning Jason headed down for coffee. Sarah had mentioned setting the alarm on the coffeepot for five. She had also taken down several mugs, and the sugar saying there was milk in the refrigerator. Everyone could help themselves when they decided to come down, when the whole family was up they would have breakfast. Jason appreciated the low key approach. He figured he would be alone in the kitchen but he was wrong.<p>

"Good morning." Carolyn said smiling from her place at the table. The time change made it so she just couldn't sleep anymore. Jeff was still out cold. "Another early riser. I didn't think I would see anyone else."

"Yes ma'am. I don't really need much sleep, so I tend to start the day early." Jason said grabbing a mug and helping himself to the coffee.

"How does that work, with my daughter? She hates mornings." Carolyn pointed out as she pushed out a chair with her foot letting Jason know she wanted him to sit down.

"I use the mornings to get work done until Elizabeth is up. Then I don't speak to her until she has been caffeinated." Jason responded.

"Smart." Carolyn said laughing. Her daughter's boyfriend had a dry wit, probably from his grandmother. "So did my daughter warn you about what is happening today?" No need for the poor boy to be blindsided.

"Kind of." Jason sipped the brew. It was nice and strong. "She said games and then passed out. I'm guessing she didn't mean blood sports?"

"Cheeky. You will fit right in." Carolyn knew Jason would get along well with the other men of the family. "We play cards, board games, the gaming system, and horse shoes. We also play a variety of outdoor sports. There should be no blood shed, but a lot of trash talking. We will break into teams. Spouses and partners are not permitted to be on the same team, so Elizabeth cannot be your partner. The games will be played off and on for most of the week until the trophy is awarded."

"Any inside advice?" Jason wanted to know.

"Steven and Tommy are going to be on one team, and they play dirty." Carolyn grinned.

"So good sportsmanship is not necessary?" Jason wondered if he should call the guards in.

"Good sportsmanship is for the weak. It's every man for himself." Carolyn warned laughing.

"Good to know." Jason was actually a bit worried.

"I like how you are with my daughter." Carolyn told him.

"What do you mean?" Jason wasn't sure what she was talking about.

"I watched you last night." Carolyn sipped her coffee. "You look at Elizabeth, a lot. You touch her. Her hair, her hand, once her cheek. When she smiles you smile back, and when she speaks you lean in to listen." She shared her observations. "You love her."

"Yes." Jason wouldn't ever deny that.

"Not just with your heart, with all of you. You give all of yourself to my daughter. I like seeing that." Carolyn grinned as Jason blushed a bit.

"That's kind of the point right? You can't sorta love someone. You either commit or you don't." Jason shrugged.

"So young and so wise." Carolyn smiled. "Elizabeth will be twenty-four in November, how old are you?"

"I turn twenty-eight." Jason answered. "In September."

"Happy birthday then." Carolyn saluted him with her mug. She didn't see Jason as the Skype type of person.

"Thanks." Jason responded. They sat in silence a bit before Elizabeth's mother spoke again.

"So, if I ask you for a favor will it be like in the movies?" Carolyn wanted to know.

Jason was caught off guard and choked a bit on his coffee. "I'm sorry?"

"Will I owe you a favor in return? One you can collect anytime you feel like it?" She asked sipping her coffee.

Jason just looked at the petite blonde woman sitting across the table from him. "I don't grant favors." He finally responded.

"You'll grant this one." Carolyn said confidently. "So what are the terms?"

Jason hadn't lied, he didn't grant favors. Sonny did and it usually involved sending Johnny or Cody out on a job. "I guess it depends on what you are asking." Jason put his mug down. As he watched Carolyn did the same. The fact that her hand was shaking wasn't lost on him. He couldn't think of what she would want, that would make her nervous.

"I'm going to give you a name." Carolyn began.

Jason stood up halting her words. He took his wallet out of his pocket and removed a twenty dollar bill. It was the largest bill he carried. A lot of guys carried fifties and hundreds, but not a lot of businesses took them so they were a pain. He pushed it across the table and waited.

Carolyn looked at the bill for a moment before picking it up and putting it in her pocket. By accepting the twenty she could say Jason paid her for her time, and the conversation would be protected under doctor/patient privilege. Even in court she couldn't be forced to divulge what he was going to say.

"It's already done." Jason said quietly, and he watched as the older woman's blue eyes filled with tears. She took a few deep breaths before giving up and putting her face in her hands and crying. He didn't move to comfort her, but simply let her get it out.

It took a few minutes for Carolyn to be able to speak. "Thank you. Can I ask when?" She wouldn't seek any other details.

"The end of February, I didn't know until this year." Jason explained.

Carolyn nodded. Jason got up and poured her a glass of water. "Thank you." She said taking a drink. "Does Elizabeth know?"

"Yes." Jason didn't share business with her, but he told her this. Her reaction had mirrored her mother's.

"The ring you gave her is lovely." Carolyn said letting the past go. She had been fully prepared to become an accessory to murder to find justice for her daughter.

"It suits us." Jason let it go too.

Carolyn got up and wiped her face. "Would you like more coffee?"

"No thank you. I'm going to go back upstairs for a bit." Jason just wanted to hold his girl.

"I'm going to sit out back and just relax. I'll see you at breakfast." Carolyn said before stepping outside.

Jason put his cup in the sink and trotted back up the stairs.

* * *

><p>The teams had already been picked, and Jason ended up with Cooper. "We were put together for a reason." Sarah's husband said in their quick huddle. They were both in shorts, sneakers, and t-shirts.<p>

"To stop Steven and Tom Jr.?" Jason guessed.

"Yup. So how do you want to do this?" Cooper asked Jason. Elizabeth hadn't ever brought anyone home in the time that Cooper had been a part of the family, it didn't surprise him that when she did the guy would fit right in.

"We need to cheat better than them." Jason said point blank.

"Improvise, adapt, and overcome?" Cooper suggested.

"Absolutely. Thank you for your service." Jason added.

"You're welcome." Cooper said nodding. "No one is going to help us, in fact they will deny knowing what we are doing."

Jason looked at the other teams. Elizabeth and her sister; Simone and Carolyn; Tom Sr. and Jeff; and of course Steven and Tommy. Audrey was the cheering section but would join them for the non-physical events. "There won't be anything to deny, because we aren't going to give anything away." Jason declared totally serious. He considered this an op, and failure wasn't on the table. "What's up first?"

"Horseshoes. Ever play?" Cooper asked his partner.

"Nope, but I know how it's played." Jason answered. "I have really good aim."

"Me too." Cooper grinned. Steven and Tommy wouldn't know what hit them.

"Okay, we're burning daylight." Steven yelled. "Let the massacre begin. Tommy and I need time to fight over who gets to take the trophy home first."

* * *

><p>"That's the ugliest trophy I have ever seen." Jason said looking at what appeared to be a softball spray painted gold screwed onto a wooden base.<p>

"I made that myself." Steven protested.

"Well it will look good on Cooper's bookshelf." Jason grinned, he had no intention of taking that thing home with him. Massacre had been right. They started with horseshoes and Jason and Cooper won that, and proceeded to win everything else, but Bridge. Audrey paired with Simone and they crushed everyone. Trivial Pursuit, Canasta, Badminton and Table Tennis. Pool, where Jason crushed everyone. The last game of the week was a pickup basketball game where Jason and Cooper pretty much just showed off for their ladies while annihilating Steven and Tommy. Despite the family games Jason made sure they still got in some sightseeing including feeding the giraffes.

"You're a ringer aren't you." Steven was not taking losing well. The last ten times the families gathered he and Tommy had won. "You're not even dating my sister are you?" Jason leveled his most fearsome glare at Steven who had the wisdom to swallow hard. "Or maybe you are dating her."

Jason nodded before grinning.

"You cheated." Steven declared. "I like that. Welcome to the family. Hurt her and I'll kill you." He said clapping Jason on the shoulder before heading off to get a beer.

"Your brother is strange." Jason said smiling at his girl.

"He was dropped as a baby." Elizabeth grinned as she wrapped her arms around Jason. His arms instantly closed around her. "You were sexy running around in your shorts." She whispered.

"Really?" He said dropping a quick kiss on her lips. "I could barely concentrate watching you play badminton, lots of jiggling." He said making her laugh. "I'll see if Sonny will put a net in his backyard." Their friends were moving into a house next month. "Then we could go over and I watch you jiggle some more."

"Jason." Elizabeth leaned up and kissed him. "You are so bad."

"And all yours." He said. "Let's get something to drink."

* * *

><p>"They look good together." Audrey said to her son and daughter in-law.<p>

"They do." Jeff agreed.

"I was worried she wouldn't find this." Carolyn admitted. "Lizzie closed part of herself off after she got hurt. I think she was just waiting for Jason."

"I think you're right." Jeff smiled watching his youngest child laugh. This week he had seen the spirited girl they used to know mixed in with a confident young woman who was embracing life. Knowing all his kids had found someone to love made him feel like he had done something right as a parent.

"They are going to have beautiful babies." Audrey grinned.

"Yup." Carolyn laughed and her husband shook his head not even wanting to think about that.

* * *

><p>"Are you sad to be leaving tomorrow?" Jason asked as they sat under a tree in the backyard. Elizabeth wanted to spend the last two weeks of her summer vacation at home relaxing so she was rested for the start of school.<p>

"A little, it was a great week. There will be other visits. Sarah is talking about bringing the kids east." Elizabeth told him.

"Let me know and I'll see that they get a nice suite." Chloe or Tracy could help him with that.

"Sounds good." Elizabeth said happy that Jason and her family were getting along. "You know you don't have to wait for badminton to see me jiggle."

"I don't?" Jason loved that heat in her eyes.

"Ever hear of the Mile High Club?" Elizabeth asked biting her lower lip. It was going to be a great flight home.

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><p>Thanks for the reviews!<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringment is intended.

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><p>Mi Casa Es Su Casa<p>

"I can't believe you guys are moving." Emily said looking around at the many boxes that were stacked high in the front room of penthouse two. "You've lived here forever."

Carly laughed at her friend. "Geez make me feel ancient why don't you?" There was only six years between the two women. That was really funny when you realized that legally Carly was Emily's mother in-law.

"You know what I mean." Emily said sticking out her tongue. "When I think of you guys I think of you here. At the Towers, across the hall from Jason. It's where Sonny has lived the entire time I've known him. I figured if you were going to move it would have been after the wedding. When you didn't I just guessed you'd stay here for the rest of your lives."

"Now you can think of us in our new house, where you will have a guest suite. Which you can decorate if you like." Carly hoped her friends stayed often. Even though they weren't moving that far away they had room for friends. "You guys will have one too. Same offer about the decorating." Carly said smiling at Elizabeth.

"Thanks, but honestly I don't see us using it much. Jason isn't really one for sleepovers." Elizabeth pointed out.

"That's for sure. My mother has been trying to get him to spend the night again at the mansion for the last year." Emily thought her mother would do better to offer Jason the gatehouse. The mansion was always crowded. "She pouted all day after you mentioned that you guys stayed with Sarah." Monica had hosted everyone for brunch when Liz and Jason returned from vacation.

"You can come stay when the guys go out of town." Carly suggested to Elizabeth. That would help Jason to relax because the new house was fortified, and then some. Sonny was taking no chances with his wife and child. "Since the penthouse will be empty you and Dante could move in. You would be neighbors with Jason."

"Sonny already offered, and we turned him down. This just isn't us." Emily said shaking her head. It was too big, Jason's penthouse would be a better size for the newlyweds. "Maybe Jason will want it." The medical student suggested.

"Want what?" Jason asked walking through the door. Sonny was behind him.

"Okay, the crew is downstairs so we need to get out of their way." The mob boss declared. They were heading over to the new house so that Carly could order the crew around and the other ladies could give their opinions on the placement of the furniture. The guys were going to hang out outside, and sit on the patio furniture that was delivered yesterday until they were needed.

"Let me get my purse from next door." Elizabeth said getting up from the couch.

"We'll meet you guys there." Jason said to his friends.

"That's fine. Emily are you riding with us?" Sonny asked as the group walked out of penthouse two.

"Of course, I get to have some Michael time then." Emily grinned.

At the doorway Carly paused and looked back. She had some of the best times of her life here. This was where they went from a couple to a family. Now they were moving to a home where Michael could run around the backyard and hopefully someday their family would grow again. There were good memories here, but there were good memories waiting to be made at the new house.

"You okay?" Jason asked his friend.

"Yeah. I'll miss it." Carly grinned. "I bet you won't miss me barging in all the time."

"Nope." Jason said laughing. He would miss having his friends so close, but change was a part of life. They would only be twenty minutes away, and Sonny would insist on everyone coming to dinner often.

"Brat." Carly said walking onto the elevator. "Hey you two, don't get held up." She smirked as the door closed.

Elizabeth just blushed. "Let me get my purse." The petite brunette muttered again while walking away. She was back quickly and Jason called for the elevator.

"What might I want?" He asked leaning against the back wall.

"What?" Elizabeth asked confused.

"Emily said I might want it. What is it?" He wanted to know. Jason shoved his hands in his pocket to keep them off Elizabeth. They were in the elevator which had cameras, but the urge to back her up against the wall and kiss her senseless was making itself known. He had gotten teased for weeks after their last make out session in the elevator. His friends getting on his case didn't bother him, but he didn't want his private time with Elizabeth broadcast for others to watch.

"Penthouse two." Elizabeth said turning to face front again as the doors slid open. She walked to the car waving to Paulie who was waiting to follow them. He was her guard when she wasn't at school with Milo.

"Really?" Jason hadn't given that any thought. "It might be a bit odd living there. I've always thought of it as Sonny's place. Plus it's huge."

"You could turn it into your very own grotto." Elizabeth said grinning.

"Grotto?" Jason asked as they stopped at a light.

"The Playboy Mansion has a famous one. A lavish area for parties." Elizabeth waited for recognition. Every heterosexual male past puberty knew about the estate.

Jason just shrugged. "The magazine has good articles."

Elizabeth burst out laughing.

"What?" Jason wanted to know. The magazine did have good articles.

"I think you are the only guy who is reading it." His not being able to see the pictures meant he didn't get it for the centerfolds. "Anyway, I just meant you could turn it into your own private playground. A hip swinging bachelor pad." Elizabeth elaborated.

"But I'm not a bachelor so that idea wouldn't work." Jason pointed out. "What would you think of that? My moving into penthouse two?" Hers was the only opinion that mattered. The now empty apartment had more room than his place and they could each have a private space for work. With room to spread out and grade her papers maybe Elizabeth would consider staying over during the week now that school was back in session.

In the back of Jason's mind another thought began taking root. With more space maybe Elizabeth might even consider moving in. While imagining was not something Jason could normally do he had no problem envisioning what it would be like to come home every night and find Elizabeth there, or to be home and know she was coming. Sunday nights were the hardest night of the week for him, because Elizabeth left after two nights of sleeping in his arms. He damn near cried when she left to her place after spending most of the summer together.

"Jason?" Elizabeth called his name for the third time.

"Yeah?" He said leaving his musings.

"The light changed." She pointed to the traffic sign.

Jason hit the gas and moved through the intersection.

"Where did you go?" Elizabeth hadn't ever seen him zone out like that before.

"Just thinking." Jason told her, looking over and smiling.

"Okay." Elizabeth smiled back figuring it was probably work. "Have you been out to the new house?"

"I was out last week, overseeing the installation of the security systems." Jason wanted to make sure his friends would be safe. "Johnny and I spent some time testing everything." Which was fine since the house closest to Sonny's was empty because his neighbor was away on business. Not that it was all that close. They shared a wall on the property line but you couldn't see into either house from the other due to how far apart the homes were. "It's huge."

"Carly is hoping for at least two more children, so they need the room." Elizabeth told him.

"Plus I think she has promised at least six people guest rooms." Jason laughed as he turned onto the private road that would lead to Greystone.

"She said we could have one, I told her that we probably didn't need it." Elizabeth shared.

"We can stay over if you want. I told Monica we would stay over at Thanksgiving." His mother had finally just warn him down. He knew his not staying occasionally hurt her some, but he didn't see the point of sleeping at his parent's house when he had a home not even thirty minutes away. "Is that alright?"

"Yeah its fine, Emily will be thrilled to have back up." Jason's sister was staying over for Thanksgiving too. Elizabeth looked out the windshield. "Is that the house?"

"That's the house." Jason said looking at something out of a gothic nightmare.

Elizabeth didn't quite know what to say. While Carly had gushed about the home, it wasn't really to Elizabeth's taste. Which was fine because she didn't have to live here.

"Exactly." Jason said looking over.

"I didn't say anything." Elizabeth responded.

"You didn't have to." Jason had the same reaction upon first seeing it. "I could never live here. It's not at all to my taste."

"What is your style?" She asked as they pulled up to the gate and Jason pressed the buzzer.

"I wouldn't say I have a style. I just know what I like." He told Elizabeth as he faced front again. "Greystone isn't it."

"It has a name?" Elizabeth said looking at the structure again.

"Yeah, and probably a ghost that roams the grounds at night." Jason said laughing.

"Is the mansion more to your liking?" Elizabeth asked as they parked. She was curious as to what type of house he would buy. This didn't require imagining, Jason had a love of architecture so this was just a matter of saying what he liked and didn't.

"No." Jason took her hand in his. "The Quartermaine mansion is too big. Although I do like all the land around it. There is too much space between the rooms inside the house. I don't want anything with wings attached." He explained as they got out of the car.

"Me either." She said softly. More and more Elizabeth could see them living together. Arriving on Friday after school made her so happy, and leaving on Sunday night tore her heart out. Last Sunday she had actually cried herself to sleep she missed Jason so much. It would be seven months of dating later this month, and while some people might think that was too early to start living together Elizabeth would break her lease tomorrow if Jason asked her to stay with him.

Before Jason could respond the front door swung open. "Good you're here." Carly came out and grabbed Elizabeth's free hand. "Emily and I can't agree on where the sofa should go in the living room. We need a tie breaker. Jason the guys are around back." Carly said pulling Elizabeth into the house. "I want to have as many rooms as I can figured out before the crew arrives."

Elizabeth looked back over her shoulder as they mounted the stairs. Jason was standing in the same spot watching her and smiling. She grinned too before turning back to their friend. Seeing that smile every morning wouldn't be a problem at all.

* * *

><p>Inside the first thing Elizabeth saw was the ornate chandelier in the shadow filled hallway. Looking down she saw marble in the foyer. For some reason that didn't give her a warm and homey feeling. Nope it made her think of Frankenstein and Dracula. It also made her consider Jason's ghost theory again. This house would be great for a masked ball. It probably even had secret passages.<p>

"Good you guys are back." Emily was standing in the hall. "Being in here alone gave me the willies."

"It's not that bad." Carly huffed. "The furniture will warm it up."

"It's no Wyndamere, that's true, but this place gives the castle a run for its money." Emily commented.

Considering all their furniture was black leather and dark wood Elizabeth didn't see that warming her friend mentioned happening. "What's Wyndamere?" She asked Emily.

"The house on Spoon Island." Emily filled in. "I used to date the grandson of the family that lived there when I was in high school. Talk about creepy." She Shivered.

"The house was that bad?" Elizabeth had seen the castle from the docks.

"I was talking about the family." Emily said cracking herself up. "The house was a close second."

"So which room are we looking at?" Elizabeth asked to get them back on track.

"This one." Carly led the way.

They stepped into the parlor which was light and airy. A total contrast to the dark front hall. "This is lovely." Elizabeth smiled.

"We need more light in the hall." Carly already knew that. It was something that could be done with them living in the house. "The rest of the spaces are like this. So I say the couches should go here." She meant on each side of the fireplace.

"I say here." Emily meant in an L shape facing the French doors and the fireplace.

Elizabeth looked through the glass doors and saw the guys standing in the grass and talking. Sonny was holding Michael who was reaching out a hand to Jason. "That view is fantastic. You don't want to miss out on that, but the couches in an L will through off the balance of the room so Carly wins."

The blonde grinned in triumph.

"You just said that because this is her house." Emily pouted.

"Show us more of the house." Elizabeth requested. Of course she had sided with Carly because her friend would be living here, she just wasn't going to admit it.

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><p>Sonny put Michael down and the little boy began to pull up grass, bringing the short green stalks to his face for a closer examination. Seemingly satisfied he dropped the handful only to grab more.<p>

"I think having a backyard will be good for him." Sonny smiled down at his son. "He'll have room to run around and play."

"He'll have a lot of fun making you chase him." Jason laughed as his godson rolled to his knees, gained his feet and walked off quickly.

"I got him." Paulie said walking by both his bosses. "I won't let him eat anything." The big guard told Sonny. Michael was still in that stage where he tried to put most things in his mouth.

"It's fine. Take a load off." Sonny told the guard before following Michael further out into the yard. "I'm looking forward to doing some gardening. Lila gave me a few pointers at brunch." Now that Dante and Emily were married the Quartermaines invited Sonny to more family functions.

"You should be fine then." Jason said walking next to Sonny. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Sonny stopped because Michael was sitting again. "What's up?"

"How did you know when it was the right time to ask Carly to move in with you?" Jason wanted to know.

"You thinking about asking Liz?" Sonny smiled and his dimples popped out.

"Yeah." Jason confessed.

Sonny thought Liz was the best thing that ever happened to his friend. Jason was happy now, and with everything the younger man did for everyone else he needed someone who put his happiness first. Liz did that, she gave Jason something else besides work to care about. "I didn't really ask Carly to move in." Sonny admitted a bit sheepishly. "She just kept bringing her things over, and then one day she said it would be better if she just stayed. Carly is not as polite as Liz." Sonny said laughing. Liz would wait for Jason to suggest it.

"Going after something she wants has never been Carly's problem." Jason grinned. He was the recipient of her interest for about ten minutes, he was grateful it was so short a time period, and then his partner had walked in the room. Sonny never really stood a chance when Carly decided he was the man for her. Luckily the Cuban mob boss has already reached that conclusion as well.

"No, restraint is more her issue. She's getting better though." Sonny pointed out. Carly liked things big and bit over the top, this house was a perfect example. It was bigger than they needed unless they planned on having a soccer team. But she wanted something grand, and Sonny wanted her to have whatever she wanted. "If you think its right I say go for it."

"What if she says no?" Jason asked his friend.

"Then she isn't ready for that step." Sonny put his hand on Jason's shoulder. "As long as she doesn't give the ring back things are fine. The one thing I've learned being married is never try to guess what is on a woman's mind. They are complicated creatures." Sonny chuckled. "I always ask."

"You are very well trained." Jason got in a dig at his partner.

"The last time I looked in your fridge you had a whole bunch of yogurt containers." Sonny said getting in his own dig. "You don't eat yogurt, but you make sure to have it on hand because Liz does."

Jason blushed. "We are both well trained."

"Yup." Sonny smiled and they started moving again as Michael set off. "A happy woman is what every man strives for. Otherwise they make us suffer." The two friends were silent for a bit. "Talk to her Jason, she is staying over your place tonight so it's a good time for it. If she agrees you can call a crew tomorrow."

"If she agrees I think I'd like to move into penthouse two." Jason told Sonny. A crew could move them in after Liz made any changes she deemed necessary. "We could move into that stage of our lives in a place that neither one of us has shared with anyone else." Elizabeth hadn't ever lived with a guy, but Jason had lived in penthouse two with a former girlfriend.

"More space, that's a good call." It would allow them to be close to one another, but still give them option of alone time when it was needed. "If you decide that let me know, I'd like to offer penthouse four to Dante and Emily." Sonny wanted his son and daughter in=law somewhere more secure than the loft they lived in. The elevator in their building opened right into the apartment for goodness sake. They needed to move.

"I'll let you know." Jason would think on it for the rest of the day.

Carly stepped out on the patio and Paulie pointed out into the spacious back yard. "Sonny, the truck is here!" She called out.

"We'll be right there!" He called back. "Come on." Sonny said scooping up Michael. "It's time to go in and have mommy tell us that every single suggestion we have is wrong." He laughed.

"You think?" Jason laughed too.

"There is a reason I let Carly come out here with the interior designer by herself." Sonny loved being married to a woman with strong opinions. Carly kept his ego in check. "We'll have the crew unpack the kitchen, and I'll get started on dinner." They were having a full house for the first meal in the new home.

"I'll help." Jason offered. He figured Paulie would as well.

"You just want to be busy so that don't ask your opinion." Sonny knew what his friend was doing.

"Yup." Jason didn't even bother to deny it, as they walked into the house.

* * *

><p>"Sonny is too good a cook for my waistline." Elizabeth said as they walked back into the penthouse. It was kind of weird knowing that they were the only ones up here. It had become habit to walk across the hall on Sunday morning to have brunch on the days they didn't go to the Quartermaines. "What were you and Sonny huddled up about?" She knew it wasn't business because they were in the parlor with everyone else and not in the office.<p>

"Sonny was warning me that Carly wants to throw me a party for my birthday." Jason hated parties, especially ones for him. "She sees it as her first opportunity to host a party in the new house."

"To bad they didn't move earlier in the month. She could have had a barbeque for Labor Day." The holiday was last week. "With school starting the next day we would have had a built in excuse to leave early." Elizabeth sat on the couch and Jason joined her. Leaning over he kissed her softly at first and then a bit harder. When he pulled back she noted his eyes were darker. "What do you want for you birthday?"

"You don't have to buy me a gift." Jason told his girlfriend.

"Your my guy, I have to get you gift, and it needs to be good." Elizabeth had been thinking on this since they got back from California. Emily already said Jason was impossible to shop for. It wasn't that he had everything he wanted, it was that Jason was about as unmaterialistic as a person could get. The only things Emily ever remembered Jason saying he wanted were the pool table and the Harley.

"Keep Carly from throwing me a party." Jason grinned leaning in and letting his lips brush against his girlfriend's again. As he sank into their lushness he pushed her back so that his body was covering hers. He rocked against her and she pushed back.

"Jason." Elizabeth tilted her chin to give him better access to the soft skin behind her ear. "I need…oh!" She gasped as he tugged on her earlobe with his teeth.

"I need too." He whole heartedly agreed. Pushing up he gained his feet and scooped his girlfriend up into his arms and carried her upstairs.

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><p>The next morning the sun came through Jason's window and fell across the two lovers who were curled into one another on the bed. Elizabeth woke first, which was rare, and grinned. Starting the day in Jason's arms was the best thing ever. Then she frowned because it was Sunday and tonight she was sleeping in her bed. Alone. On a sigh she turned to leave the bed.<p>

"That sounded serious." Jason said opening his eyes. When she rolled over he woke completely up.

"Nope." Elizabeth said cursing herself for being a coward. She just wasn't brave enough to bring up them living together. Maybe in a few months she'd work up the nerve, if Jason hadn't asked by then.

"Where are you going?" He wasn't ready to let her.

"To the bathroom and then to start coffee." Elizabeth liked making coffee for him in the mornings. Since he didn't eat breakfast there was no point in cooking this early, so she made sure he had fresh coffee when he came downstairs. She noticed that little things like that gave him a lot pleasure.

Jason opened his arms so Elizabeth could slide out from under the blankets. She slipped on her robe and padded into the other room. They had both showered last night so she wouldn't be long. Probably just long enough for him to find some courage. Or maybe not he thought as the door swung open again. "Come here." He patted the bed.

"What's up?" Elizabeth asked joining him again.

"Put on some clothes." Jason requested as he got up and pulled on his sweats heading to the bathroom. Inside he used the facilities, washed his hands and face, and brushed his teeth. All the while telling himself to man up. He loved Elizabeth and he knew she loved him. It was killing him to be apart from her for the whole week, so it was time to speak up. Coming out he ducked into his closet and got dressed. "Come with me?" He asked holding out his hand.

Elizabeth didn't hesitate to take it. "Do I need shoes?" They were both in socks.

"No." Jason said leading her downstairs, out of his penthouse where he nodded to the guard on duty and over to penthouse two. The door was unlocked, but even if it had been he had the key. Sonny had given it to him before they left Greystone.

They stood in the middle of the living room. The windows were uncovered now, so the room was bright and warm. "Last night you asked me what I wanted for my birthday." His voice shook a bit so he took a deep breath. "I want to move here."

Elizabeth looked around the space. "Jason you own the building, so I can't give you the penthouse for a gift." She said confused. "Did you want me to buy you something for your new place?"

"No." Jason said sorting the words out in his head. "I want you to move in here with me."

Elizabeth looked up at him as a beautiful smile lit up her face. "You want to live together?"

"Yea." Jason said smiling back. "I hate it when you leave on Sunday nights." He told her.

"Me too." Elizabeth admitted softly. "I don't sleep well during the week when we're apart. But we don't need to move here, I'd be happy next door." She never wanted him to feel like he had to change for her.

"I'd like to live here." Jason told her. "I lived next door with some else, I want to have our own space. Can you be happy here?"

She knew he had lived with a girlfriend before, and didn't hold that against him. "I can be happy anywhere we are together."

"Good. There's a room off the kitchen with big windows that would make a good office for you. So you'll have space to do your grading and lesson plans." Jason had been giving this some thought. "I can use Sonny's office, it's soundproofed. If I need to do business at home I can go in there so that you don't have to go upstairs." It happened infrequently, but occasionally she did need to leave the room and he always felt bad about that.

"That sounds great." Elizabeth was getting more excited by the second.

"So you'll move in with me?" Jason needed to hear her say yes.

"Yes, I'll move in with you." Elizabeth launched herself into his arms laughing. He of course caught her. "But this doesn't count as your birthday present." She let him know. "So suggestions would be helpful."

"I'll think of something." Jason promised. "For now let's concentrate on our new apartment. I want to pick out colors for the walls and talk about any changes you want to make. I'd like to be in here as soon as possible."

"I'd like to paint." Elizabeth wanted some subtler colors on the walls. "But we don't have to make any changes." She didn't need anything fancy.

"Let's walk through anyway." Jason suggested heading to the kitchen. "You may need things for your office. I'll have the locks changed today."

"Jason?" She said his name to stop him from leaving the front room.

"Yeah?" He stopped and came back to where she was standing.

"Can we have a crew pack up my apartment tonight? Or do you want to wait until this penthouse is ready?" She didn't want to wait.

Instead of answering Jason walked out into the hall to borrow the phone of the guard who was on his door. "I need to send a crew to Ms. Webber's place. Her things need to be packed up and brought to penthouse four." He instructed before hanging up, on the way back into his place he'd give the phone back.

"I'll only unpack things I need right now, and the rest can wait until we move in." Elizabeth liked that he didn't want to wait either.

"I think Emily and Dante are going to be our neighbors." Jason said smiling.

"That will be fun." Elizabeth said following him back to the room off the kitchen. "This is a good sized space." Probably bigger than she actually needed.

"We can get you a desk, and a sofa." Jason suggested. "Anything you want."

"That sounds good." Elizabeth closed her eyes and cocked her head to the side a bit as a slow smiled formed on her face.

"What are you thinking about?" Jason asked curious.

"What room I want to christen first." Elizabeth said as her smiled turned wicked.

"Is that right?" Jason liked the sound of that. "Which one?"

"This one." She said closing the door.

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><p>Thanks for the reviews, the follows, and the favorites!<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Not Safe For Work

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><p>Bewitched!<p>

Elizabeth took a final look in the mirror before heading downstairs. Today was Halloween, her second favorite holiday of the year. If you asked her friends they would say it was because of the free candy. Which wasn't true, since she was too old to trick or treat. Any candy she got today she had to buy herself, although Jason would probably get her something. The man loved to spoil her. The real reason Elizabeth loved Halloween was it gave her an excuse to play dress up.

As a mature and responsible adult these opportunities didn't come around all that often. So she had to make the most of them. Which was why every year she dressed up, even if it was just to hand out candy to the kids.

"Hey." Jason was sitting in the living room. He had to grin as his girl came into view. They had been living together for almost two months now and seeing her face first thing in the morning was the best possible way to start the day. "So who are you?" If he had all his memories he would probably know without having to be told.

"Little Red Riding Hood." Elizabeth grinned. It might be Halloween, but it was also a school day so her outfit had to be modest.

"I like you in red." Jason grinned. "Didn't she have some animal chasing her? A wolf?" He said trying to remember.

"Yup, that's her." Elizabeth was wearing a red jumper with a white long sleeved shirt underneath. On her feet were red ballet flats. She had a picnic basket filled with goodies for her students, and her cape was hanging on the coat rack. "The big bad wolf swallows her grandmother, then he swallows Red before the heroic huntsman comes along and cuts open the wolf's stomach rescuing them."

"That makes no sense." Jason said looking at her. "You know that right? A wolf can't swallow a person whole. They aren't big enough."

Elizabeth looked at her guy and laughed. He was so literal sometimes. "It's a folk tale. The moral of the story is that young women shouldn't talk to strangers, because Red talks to the wolf and then gets eaten. In the original French version the wolf really does eat Red and she never gets rescued."

Jason grinned at his girl again. She was smart and that was sexy. "You look really young with your hair like that." She probably could go out and get candy tonight.

Her hair was parted down the middle and in two pigtails. Elizabeth just smirked, it wasn't just the hair style that made her look young. She just had a youthful appearance. "It doesn't hurt that I'm so short." She still got carded at bars. "Are you looking forward to tonight?" She asked her guy, knowing the answer was no.

"Not really." Jason said smiling wide as he stood up. "But I agreed to go, and I agreed to dress up." There was no limit to the things that he would do for his girl. "What am I wearing?" She wouldn't tell him that.

"Nope. You will find out later." Elizabeth teased. She knew Jason was a bit apprehensive about what she had picked.

"Don't couples normally dress in tandem?" He said eyeing her outfit while the fear that he would be in a furry outfit started to sink in.

"Yup." Elizabeth said with a mischievous grin. "I'm leaving school at noon." They only had a half day. "Then going to the hospital to work the party there. After I will come home and we can get ready for the party."

"Okay." Jason was going to suck it up because Elizabeth was so excited. "I'll see you later." Walking over she tilted up her face for a kiss, which her guy quickly gave her. Milo was waiting in the hall for her, so she needed to go.

"Let me help you with your cape." Jason wrapped her in the floor length cloak. "Are you going to be warm enough?" He asked worried. While some Halloweens were warm, due to Indian summer, this year the cold had moved in early. He didn't want her catching a chill.

"Milo is dropping me off at the door, and picking me up from the same spot. I won't be outside much." Elizabeth assured Jason. Basket in hand she headed to the door. "Jason?"

"Yeah baby?" He looked over at her. He would be leaving for work shortly. He had a treat for his girl and he wanted to make sure everything was set.

"Since you are going to dress up, even though you hate it, I have a treat for you after the party." She said giving him a sultry look before walking out of the penthouse. Let him think on that until they saw each other again.

"Damn, how am I supposed to concentrate now?" Jason asked the empty room.

* * *

><p>Halloween at Port Charles Academy was a pretty big deal. The entire staff dressed up, and the students were encouraged to as well. Being in high school some kids felt they were too old for such childish behavior, but most really got into the spirit of the day. Milo had on an old fashioned baseball uniform, which was a big hit at school. He even brought in his league MVP trophy to show off. Elizabeth's costume was also a hit with her students, making most of them laugh. She posed for lots of pictures and gave out a lot of goodies. At eleven-thirty the principal announced the winner of the best staff costume. The kids voted in their shortened second period class. One of the teachers from the science department won having come dressed as Iron Man. Elizabeth had to admit the man's costume was impressive. Not only did his arc reactor light up, but smoke came out of the boots to simulate the jets the superhero used to fly.<p>

* * *

><p>She arrived at the hospital at twelve-thirty and headed to the cafeteria to meet her friends for lunch. The party for the kids started at one-thirty so from their meal most of them were going to the pediatric ward.<p>

"Look who it is. What's in your basket little girl?" Patrick asked grinning.

"Not telling." Elizabeth put her tray down and took a seat.

"I will leave you ladies to it." Patrick said giving Robin a quick kiss before moving off.

Kelly walked over and sat as well. "Red Riding Hood?" She said frowning.

"What?" Elizabeth stole a French fry from Emily's tray. Her friend was also working the party.

"I'm going as a sexy Red Riding Hood at the party tonight." Kelly had to admit Elizabeth's costume was spot on. There was a prize for best couple and Kelly planned on winning it with Francis. "Frannie is going as a sexy huntsman."

"I'm getting changed." Elizabeth told her friend.

"Into what?" Nadine wanted to know. They all wanted to know. The whole gang had been pestering Liz for hints since she announced Jason was dressing up too.

"Not saying." Elizabeth closed an imaginary zipper over her lips. "What are you and Johnny going as?" She asked Nadine.

"Bonnie and Clyde." The nurse grinned.

"How original." Robin said laughing. "That had to be Johnny's idea."

"It was. There wasn't a lot he would wear." Nadine shrugged. "So if I wanted to get him dressed up I had to compromise."

"Dante and I are going as Princess Leia and Han Solo." Emily told the group. It was fine to spill the beans now, because if you didn't have your costume then you weren't getting it. The shops had been sold out for weeks. The Halloween Gala hosted by Jasper and Chloe Jacks at the Metro Court was a must have ticket. The proceeds from the event benefited the local free clinic, and it was always a successful night in terms of the amount raised. "Carly and Sonny are going are Cleopatra and Marc Antony."

"Nice." Elizabeth thought that was perfect. "Are your parents going to be able to make it?"

"Yup. Hera and Zeus." Emily told the table. "What are you and Patrick coming as?"

"We aren't." Robin pouted just a bit. "We are both working." In fact they were both just arriving at the hospital. Robin wasn't even on the clock yet. "Someone has to cover the slackers."

"Are Diane and Shawn coming?" Nadine hoped so. Last year they had won the grand prize as a serving wench and swashbuckler.

"They are indeed." Kelly told the group. "Diane is a sexy US Marshal, and Shawn is a sexy outlaw. Diane said she is planning on him losing his shirt at some point."

"Damn, I really am sorry I'm not going." Robin said fanning herself. "Shawn has crazy abs. Someone take a picture. Uncle Mac is taking Alexis."

"What are they dressing up as?" Elizabeth asked finishing up her lunch.

"Doctors. In scrubs and lab coats." Robin shrugged. Alexis wasn't really adventurous with her costumes.

"If they really want to pull it off, they'll get busted in a storage closet." Nadine said laughing and Robin just blushed. Everyone knew that was a poke at her and Patrick.

Kelly's pager beeped. "Another baby is demanding my attention. I will see everyone later at the party." The doctor said hurrying to the elevator.

"We should get upstairs." Elizabeth said looking at the clock. She stood and so did Emily.

They were walking to the elevator when Emily spoke up. "Georgie is coming tonight."

"Really? What is she wearing?" Elizabeth's eyes lit up.

"Cheerleader outfit." Emily had talked the younger woman into attending. "Are you sure Milo isn't bringing anyone?"

"Positive. I mentioned that Georgie might attend, and he said maybe they could hang out some." Elizabeth passed along. The two had been dancing around one another since Georgie moved back to Port Charles in July. She had attended under graduate school in Chicago, and after graduating in May spent the summer in Paris with Maxie. Now Georgie was home and attending law school at PCU.

"Dillon is not attending." Emily had made sure of that. "He and Sage are in New York for a film festival." Emily was not a fan of Sage, and thought Dillon was an idiot for sleeping with her while he was seeing Georgie.

Elizabeth heard the ice in her friend's voice. "It could be worse. He could be dating Lulu Spencer."

Emily shivered. "Please, I can't even imagine the train wreck that would be." Lulu had been trying to land herself a rich husband for a while now. It wasn't working. Carly had tried talking some sense into her cousin but it hadn't done a bit of good. "So now that it's just us, would you like to share what you and Jason are coming to the party dressed as?"

"No." Elizabeth said with a bright smile. "I will tell you that it's perfect for us." Especially Jason.

"I shared." Emily pointed out.

"You did, and I can't wait to see you and Dante." Elizabeth smiled wider as the doors opened. "See you around the floor." She waved skipping off the elevator.

"Brat." Emily said stepping off the elevator as well, and going to find out which station she would be working.

* * *

><p>Jason was sitting in his office waiting for the phone to ring. While almost everyone else was focused on Halloween, and the party tonight, he was focused on tomorrow. His girl's twenty-fourth birthday. For the last few weeks he had been putting together his surprise and was just waiting to hear that the last of it was done. Cody had been a big help in getting everything set up. Since Jason disappearing for large stretches of time wouldn't work. He could always say he was working, but he didn't want to lie to his girlfriend.<p>

"Come in." Jason yelled when someone knocked on the door.

"It's all set." Cody told him.

"Thanks." Jason stood up and shook his friend's hand. "You didn't have to come down, I was expecting you to call."

"Sonny asked me to bring these papers over." Cody handed Jason the envelope. "So I didn't make a special trip."

"I really appreciate your help." Jason sat back down, and Cody sat as well.

"I'm totally stealing your idea." The former solider told his friend and boss.

"It actually isn't my idea, I stole it from my grandfather." Jason wouldn't take credit that wasn't his. "Apparently Edward has got serious game."

"Is that right? They say you can learn a lot from your elders." Cody grinned. Jason wasn't lacking in the moves department himself. "I'm still stealing the idea, but I think I'll go south instead of north. Have you figured out what your girl is making you dress up as?"

"No." Jason never had this much trouble getting information. "I thought mob guys could hold onto a secret. My girl will not talk no matter what I offer her. What are you coming dressed as."

"We are coming as Vikings. I'm not sure we are going to make it out of the house." Cody grinned. Lainey had tried on her costume last night. While his had pants and a tunic, hers was a short tight dress with boots. "I'm not sure I want anyone else seeing her in that outfit."

"Because you'll be really upset if you stay in." Jason snorted.

"Broken hearted." Cody said laughing. "I did want to come though. Max, Marco, and Paulie are going as the three musketeers which will be a hoot. And of course everyone is dying to know what you will be wearing. The pool says something pink or furry."

"She went as Little Red Riding Hood to school." Jason told his friend. "It's one night and a few hours. If I can wear a tux at Easter, I can do this." Plus his girl had mentioned a treat, and her treats were outstanding.

"I'll see you there then." Cody was going to bring his camera. Just like everyone else.

* * *

><p>Elizabeth was lying on the couch when Jason came home. "Hi." She stretched slowly waking up. A nap was needed so that she had energy later.<p>

"I didn't mean to wake you." He came over and gave her a kiss.

"You didn't. I was waking up anyway. How was your day?" She asked sitting up.

"Good. I got a lot done, how was yours?" He asked shifting her to his lap.

"Good. The party at the hospital was a lot of fun." She put her head on his shoulder. "Lots of smiling kids. They really like seeing us dressed up." Elizabeth had been in charge of stories. She had four different scheduled times to tell stories to the kids. Some scary, and some funny. After each story she handed out treats to the kids who had come by. They held out the bags they made at Emily's station. By the time the party was over all the kids had bags stuffed full of goodies. "AJ stopped by, he said he would see you at the Metro Court." ELQ sponsored the party at the hospital.

"Of course he will." Jason muttered. "Everyone is waiting to see what you are dressing me up as."

"I'm going as the tooth fairy and you are going to be a giant tooth." Elizabeth said with a straight face.

Jason's eyes widened and his first reaction was to say hell no! But he had promised to go, and to wear whatever she wanted him to. "Okay." He said weakly.

Elizabeth started smiling and then laughing. "No, that's not true." She had planned on letting him think that until she unveiled the real outfits, but his face had been too funny.

"Thank god." Jason said relieved. "So what are we going as?" It was six now, and the party started at seven so they should probably get started. His girl was in sweats and he didn't think that was her outfit.

"Your outfit is on the bed." Elizabeth informed him. "I'm getting changed down the hall and will meet you back down here when I'm dressed. Wear your motorcycle boots. I will do your hair when we are down here."

"My hair?" Jason said really starting to get nervous. He didn't really do much to his hair. Just some mousse in the morning.

"Your hair. Go shower I need your hair wet. You need to shave too." Elizabeth informed him standing up and heading for the stairs.

He watched her go and wondered what he had gotten himself into.

* * *

><p>The outfit was on the bed, under the blanket they used for picnics. Jason got clean, and shaved, before coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his hips. Picking up the blanket he looked at the clothes on the bed in a bit of confusion. A black t-shirt, black jeans, a black leather belt, black socks, and black boxer briefs. Most of the items were already his, the only thing new were the jeans. Plus his boots. He still had no idea what he was going as, but he would be comfortable.<p>

* * *

><p>Jason was sitting on the couch when Elizabeth appeared at the top of the steps and he wasn't sure he was going to be able to get up. He didn't think his legs would support him. Because, holy shit!<p>

"Hey baby." Elizabeth said stopping at the bottom of the stairs and letting her guy get a good look at her outfit. "Ready for me to do your hair?"

Jason just nodded. If he opened his mouth he was gonna beg her to take him right here on the couch. She was tight black pants. Leather pants. An off the shoulder black top, that was tight too. Her hair was in tight curls and pinned up off her face, and one her feet were sky high red leather shoes.

"Who?" Jason managed to get out. He sounded like an owl.

Elizabeth laughed. She knew he wouldn't figure it out, just like she knew he would get dressed anyway. "Sandy Olsson." She answered pointing to herself. "You are Danny Zuko. Characters from the movie Grease." It was her all-time favorite musical. Walking over, with plenty of sway in her hips, she grabbed the can of hair wax. "I have to slick your hair back, to finish the look."

Jason just nodded again. She could do whatever the hell she wanted to him. "You look so hot!" He managed to get out.

"Thanks." Elizabeth was feeling pretty damn sexy from the way he was looking at her. "You're going to have to peel me out of these pants later."

Jason groaned. "I'm gonna be hard all night looking at you."

Putting down the hair product, she cleaned her hands. "I'm gonna reward you later for going along with this." Elizabeth promised. "Let's go." She slipped on a black leather jacket, and handed him one as well. Not his, but a prop jacket with the T-Birds symbol on it. "I rented us a car. The one Danny drove in the movie." A 1948 Ford Deluxe.

Jason stood there grinning like a fool. His girl in black leather. Damn. It was going to be a great night.

* * *

><p>"It's a wonder the sprinklers haven't gone off!" Emily exclaimed when she finally made it over to her friends. The Corinthos Morgan crew had a reserved section in the hotel's ballroom. She and Dante had been among the first to arrive, and after stopping by the table went off to socialize. They had just come back, and she wanted to comment on Liz's outfit.<p>

"I must agree." Carly's mouth had dropped open when her friends arrived at the table. She hadn't been the only one shocked. "It was the perfect costume."

"You guys are a shoe in to win best couple." Nadine announced.

"Just getting Jason to dress up would get them that." Johnny said putting his arm around his girl.

"I don't know if you can say he dressed up." Kelly pointed out. She saw her hopes at claiming the night's top prize slipping away. If Liz and Jason didn't take it. Diane and Shawn would. The other couple had also turned heads when they walked in. Shawn in tan leather was a sight to behold.

"We didn't enter the competition." Elizabeth pointed out. Jason was at the table talking to some of the guys, but his eyes kept straying to her ass.

"It's automatic when you buy a ticket." Emily grinned. "And I agree with Nadine, you guys will win. We'll know soon because they will be announcing the winner any moment now."

"Well at least we know Jason likes the outfit." Kelly said laughing. "I don't think he can get up from the table."

"Kelly!" Elizabeth said blushing a bit. He had made her walk in front of him and sat down immediately trying to hide his hard on.

"The lights are dimmed. He'll be fine." The doctor smirked.

"Okay, I'm going to go dance." Emily didn't need to hear anymore.

"And I'm going to go sit with my guy." Elizabeth figured they would be leaving soon since it was almost eleven. The party went on until two, but Jason had said he only wanted to stay a few hours. She just reached the table when Chloe walked onto the stage.

"It's time for the top prize of the night. Best Dressed Couple! The votes have been tallied, and here are the results." She was dressed as Queen Victoria and Jax was Prince Albert. "In third place Kelly Lee and Francis Corelli. In second place Diane Miller and Shawn Butler, and this year's winning couple Elizabeth Webber and Jason Morgan! You guys can pick up your prizes at the front desk."

Elizabeth laughed and covered her face. "We won!"

"With you looking so sexy, how could we lose?" Jason was laughing too. "Let's say good night to our friends, get our prize, and scram." He needed to be alone with his girlfriend.

"Sounds good." She figured he wanted his treat, which he had certainly earned.

* * *

><p>It took them almost an hour to make it to the desk. The prize was a weekend at the hotel, including dinner and brunch. Jason would let Elizabeth book the room whenever she wanted, but now they had somewhere else to be.<p>

"I had the rental picked up." He said opening the door to his SUV. "One of the guys will return it in the morning."

"I can take it back." Elizabeth didn't mind.

"No you can't." Jason said grinning. "We won't be home."

"We won't?" Elizabeth asked surprised.

"Nope." Jason said starting the car and pulling off.

"Where will I be?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

Jason looked at the clock. He waited a full minute to answer because he wanted the time to change. "Happy birthday Elizabeth."

She looked at the clock too. It was midnight. "Thank you. We're going away to celebrate?" She asked wondering what he had planned.

"Not far, but I want you to myself. Or as much as I can get." He figured she would get a lot of calls from friends and family, but they wouldn't see anyone else until Sunday night when they returned home. "I bought us a cabin. So that we can have somewhere to get away too."

"Really?" Elizabeth asked delighted.

"Your gifts are there." Jason couldn't wait for her to see it. "It's on a lake, and we own all the land around it."

"How long until we get there?" She asked excited.

"Almost an hour." Jason told her. He didn't want to be too close to the city, but not so far they couldn't return quickly if it was urgent. "Relax until we get there." He said turning on the radio.

Taking his advice Elizabeth leaned back in her seat, and prepared herself to be wowed.

* * *

><p>"Jason you said a cabin." Elizabeth said looking at the large house.<p>

"It is a cabin." Jason responded.

"Cabins are small." Elizabeth said as he got out of the truck. He came around to her side and opened the door so she could slide into his arms. "How many bedrooms does this place have?"

"Eight." Jason told her. He saw them one day coming here with their children. "It has a dock with a boat house as well."

"Thank you." Elizabeth said kissing his neck.

"You can thank me properly inside. Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean I don't expect my treat." Jason said carrying her to the porch. He had to set her down to unlock the door, but then picked her up again and carried her inside. The heat was on, and the place was toasty warm. "Want to look around some?"

"No." Elizabeth said in a sultry purr. "I want to see our bedroom. We can explore tomorrow."

"Yes ma'am." Jason kicked the door shut and told her the code so she could set the alarm, once the house was secure he took her to the master suite. It was on the second floor in the back of the house, with a large private deck overlooking the water. In their room he placed her on the bed. "You said something about peeling you out of your pants?"

"I did." Elizabeth kicked off her heels.

Jason wasted no time opening the button and lowering the zipper. "You were the sexiest woman there tonight." He told her. Not that he looked at anyone else, he didn't need to.

"I'm glad you thought so. Thank you for agreeing to go." Elizabeth told him as she lifted her hips so he could start removing her pants.

"I am being amply rewarded." He said with a wicked grin as he pulled her pants down her long legs. She had on red lace panties. "Damn, even sexier."

Elizabeth set up and pulled off her top.

"No bra?" Jason wondered if he was drooling. It was a good thing he didn't know that. They never would have left the penthouse.

"The top has built in support so I didn't need one." She was lying on the comforter in just her panties. "Would you like me to help you undress?"

"No." Jason took no time at all to get naked. He stretched out beside her and pulled her close. "You always feel so good against me."

Reaching between them Elizabeth grabbed his cock and started stroking. "You too." She kissed him, a feather light touch of her lips against his. "You've been hard all night."

"You did that to me." Jason said kissing her neck. "Make me come." He needed this. He'd been on edge all night watching her ass in those pants. He would more than make it up to her.

"That is the plan." Elizabeth said pushing him to his back and moving down his body. "I promised you a treat." She whispered before taking him into his mouth.

"Oh damn!" Jason said pushing his fingers into her curls. "Just like that." He said in a hoarse whisper. His eyes rolled back into his head with just how good it was. Her lips felt like heaven wrapped around his shaft. "Don't stop baby." He begged knowing he wasn't going to last long.

She had no plans to. Every time she took him in she let him go a bit deeper until she couldn't fit anymore of his length in her mouth. She sucked, swirled, and hummed. He exploded.

"Shit!" Jason exclaimed when he could speak again. "You are really good at that."

"Practice makes perfect." Elizabeth grinned. She liked practicing with him and he never complained.

"It certainly does. Maybe I should practice some too." Jason said rolling them and taking a nipple into his mouth. He sucked and she trembled hard beneath him. He switched soft mounds and she whimpered in delight. Elizabeth had shared with him that she hadn't been good at sex in the past, he just thought she was with the wrong guys. With him she was free, and vocal, which he loved.

Down her body he went until he reached the center of her. "I like your panties, but they need to go."

"Yes they do." Elizabeth agreed.

"Lift up." Jason commanded sliding the damp material out of the way. "So pretty." He said before taking a taste. His girl liked soft licks and gentle sucking. While her clit was the most sensitive part of her core, he made sure to give all the rest of her attention as well. "Go over for me baby." Jason said bringing his mouth to her and loving her.

"YES!" Elizabeth shouted falling over the edge.

Jason kissed his way back up her body, giving her a chance to settle some. He grabbed a condom and when his eyes met hers and he saw she was ready so he pushed inside her. "Every time it gets better." He said setting up a slow rhythm.

"It does." Elizabeth wrapped her legs around his waist letting him slide deeper inside her.

Jason came up on his knees so that her shoulders were the only thing on the bed. "I love you Elizabeth. Always." He said holding her hips in his hands and pumping harder.

"I love you too Jason. Forever." She said squeezing her internal muscles around him making it even better. Jason groaned and pumped harder still. "I'm coming." She said as her body flushed pink and she peaked.

"Me too." Jason said trembling against her and giving himself over to his release.

They were both breathing hard as he pulled from her and collapsed by her side. "Happy birthday." He repeated.

"Best Halloween and birthday ever." Elizabeth grinned rolling so that she was in his arms.

"And you haven't even gotten any presents yet." Jason pointed out.

"I already have you. What more do I need." She said feeling content.

Jason kissed her, thinking the exact same .

* * *

><p>Thanks for the reviews!<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note at the Bottom

* * *

><p>Giving Thanks<p>

Jason was not a believer in luck. Either good or bad. He didn't believe that the universe randomly decided that certain things would happen to certain people at certain times. He didn't believe that some cosmic wheel was up the heavens spinning to decide our fates.

What he did believe in was the actions of human beings. That people made choices and those choices affected their behavior. And that the behavior of others had direct impact on the lives of those around them.

AJ, for example, chose to drive drunk. Jason Quartermaine chose to get in the car while his brother was driving drunk. Those two actions led to the creation of Jason Morgan. It wasn't bad luck that put the snowbank there or made AJ hit it. It wasn't good luck that Jason survived the accident that should have killed him. No he was alive because trained medical personnel worked hard to keep him that way.

Looking over at the woman who held his heart, he swallowed hard and wiped away tears. "Elizabeth if you can hear me, baby, please wake up." Jason whispered lightly squeezing her hand.

A person was the reason she had been lying unconscious in this hospital bed for the last day. A person who had hit her, and Paulie, with their car and not bothered to stop. A person who had a choice to give assistance but chose not to. A person who would be found and made to pay.

"Hey." Emily walked over to where her brother was sitting. "Any change?"

"No." Jason said his voice rough with tears. "Patrick said she should be waking up soon, so I'm trying to be patient. I'm just scared." He admitted.

"We all are." Emily put her arm around her brother. While Paulie had taken the brunt of the force from the car, Elizabeth had still been hit too. She had been thrown and hit her head on impact with ground. She was unconscious when the paramedics arrived and was in the same state when they wheeled her into surgery. Everyone was waiting for her to wake up.

"Patrick said she might be different." Jason said as more tears fell. "That she might be like I was. A blank slate. How am I going to survive if she doesn't remember me?" Jason cursed himself for being selfish, but if she looked at him and didn't know him his whole world would crumble. "She's everything, and I might lose her." Like Elizabeth, Jason's injury had been to the front of his brain. Although it wasn't in the exact same spot. Patrick stated, after coming out of surgery, that any brain trauma could cause memory loss or a drastic personality shift.

"She's going to remember you." Emily promised her brother. "I feel it in my heart, what the two of you have is too special to be lost. We have to think positive, and stay strong because she will need us when she wakes up."

"She will have whatever she needs." Jason swore. "Did the plane land yet?"

"No, but it should be arriving shortly." Steven was flying in with his wife from Memphis. He was coming not only as Elizabeth's big brother, but as one of the top trauma surgeons in the country. He would be instrumental in helping to put together a care program for Liz, as well as be on hand should she need another surgery. Which would more than likely be the case.

"Let me know please?" Jason requested.

"You should go take a walk." Emily had come in a few hours earlier and tried this.

"No, I need to be here when she wakes up. She'll be scared. I was terrified when I woke up. She'll need to see a familiar face." Jason said the same thing he said earlier.

"Will you at least eat something?" Emily tried this earlier too. "You'll get sick if you don't." They were doing their best to care for him as well. Hearing footsteps Emily looked over and saw her parents in the doorway. She shook her head saying no change.

"The plane landed." Alan told his son. "We have a limo waiting to bring Steven straight here. I spoke with Elizabeth's parents they are working on getting out of Somalia. Right now there is a restriction on flying, so they will have to drive out which is dangerous."

"Tell them to stay put. It's too dangerous." Jason knew Elizabeth would blame herself if either of her parents were hurt trying to get to her. "When the restriction is lifted they can come."

"We told them that." Monica spoke up. "But they are still going to try. Their child is hurt." She understood their pain. Nothing would have kept her from Jason's side after his accident. "We told them to let us know where to send the plane."

"Thank you." Everyone was pitching in. Sonny had called at lunchtime to say they were looking for the driver. Jason could hear in his friend's voice how helpless they all felt.

"I can sit with Elizabeth, if you'd like to take a walk. Mother has come down. You could have a visit with her. Just for a little while." Alan offered.

"No." Jason said his blue eyes locked on Elizabeth's face. Willing her to wake up even though he was terrified what that might bring. "I have to stay here, she needs me."

Alan went to speak and Monica put a hand on his arm. "Alright. Page one of us the second she wakes up."

"I will. Thanks mom." Jason said feeling helpless, and incredibly weary.

* * *

><p>"Dr. Webber." Patrick was waiting by the ER entrance.<p>

"Steven." He said getting out of the limo. That flight was the longest of his life. During his time in the air he fielded questions from various family members, spending the most time talking with Sarah. She wanted to leave California but was unable to fly due to a head cold. Since she was sick there was no way she would be allowed anywhere near Lizzie. He had promised to send an update to everyone soon, then sat and let Olivia keep him from falling apart. "How is she?"

"No change. I'll take you up and when you are ready you can page me. I don't have any scheduled surgeries so I'm free all day." Patrick said as they walked to the elevator. "If you could get Jason to take a walk that would be great."

"Not gonna happen. If it was me, you wouldn't be able to pry me from my wife's side." Steven wasn't even going to waste his time. "I'm sorry this is my wife Olivia." He said realizing he hadn't made introductions.

"Steven, this is not the time to worry about manners." She said rubbing his back.

"Mrs. Webber." Patrick grinned. "The entire Quartermaine clan is here as well."

"I spoke with Alan, he was kind enough to extend me privileges." Steven knew the Chief of Staff didn't have to do that.

"I threatened to quit if he didn't. I'm arrogant and egomaniacal. I don't respect a lot of surgeons." Patrick said with a cocky grin. "You I respect. If I have to go back in I would like you there with me."

"Thank you." Steven knew Patrick was the best in his field. "I know my sister is in good hands." The doors opened and they walked down the ICU ward.

Steven stood in the doorway and his heart broke at the sight of his baby sister lying unconscious. For a few minutes he couldn't even get his feet to move. Instead he kept telling himself to wake up from this nightmare and it kept not happening.

"Dr. Drake. Could you show me where the Quartermaines are?" Olivia wasn't needed here. "Tell her I love her." Despite the distance between them the two women were close. It was part of being a member of the Hardy/Webber clan. The family was tight knit.

Steven nodded and finally stepped into the room. Jason looked over before turning back to Elizabeth. "Did they find the driver yet?" Steven asked coming over and looking at his sister. The hand Jason wasn't holding was in a cast, it broke when she hit the ground.

"No. Sonny will find them." Jason told Steven not lifting his eyes from Elizabeth's face.

The doctor nodded. "Lizzie." He said softly. "You have to wake up, Olivia is here and I know how much you two like to talk." Steven wiped away a tear. "Liz is gonna be pissed when she wakes up. She hates having short hair." It had been shaved into a buzz cut for the surgery to relieve the pressure on her brain.

"Can I ask you something?" Jason looked over at the man he was hoping would one day be his brother in-law.

"Go ahead." Steven said running his hand up and down his sister's arm.

"How did her brain sustain such a bad injury if her skull is barely cracked?" His girl had a small linear fracture which made everyone happy, but it still wasn't good.

"The force of the impact shook her brain." Steven said not believing that he was talking about his sister. "Like with Shaken Baby Syndrome."

"Is there any chance she'll be the Elizabeth we remember?" Jason had been afraid to ask anyone else this question.

"The brain is a strange place for us doctors. We still don't completely know how it works. There is always a chance. We need to pray really hard that we get it." Steven said pulling up a seat to do just that.

* * *

><p>"I brought dinner." Sonny said standing in the doorway. He handed the bag to Steven. "Jason I need to speak with you."<p>

"I can't leave." Jason repeated.

Steven stood up and walked over closing the door. "Go ahead." He knew what Jason and his friends did. He didn't care because they treated his sister good. "I'm not going to talk as long as you promise me the asshole who left her lying in the street is going to die." First do no harm could take a flying leap.

"Do you know who hit Elizabeth?" Jason looked up at Sonny.

"We do." He confirmed. "Lucky Spencer."

"You know him." Steven saw recognition come into Jason's face.

"He's a cop, and an all-around prick. Did he do this intentionally?" Meaning to get to Jason.

"Dante put out some feelers, and so did we. To the chop shops in the area. Hitting a person messes up your car. Lucky would need to get that fixed. He showed up an hour ago." Sonny said before getting interrupted.

"An hour, why are you just telling me now?" Jason snapped.

"Calm down Jason." Sonny wasn't upset that the younger man yelled at him, but he did want to keep Jason's temper from snapping completely. That could be ugly. "I've been working on this. I wanted to have some answers before I came over. Its fine, you don't need to apologize." Sonny said stopping his friend. "Lucky tried to sell the car for quick cash. He went to someone he thought was a friend of his dad's. Lucky said he hit two people, and that one of them was Morgan's girl."

"He stopped. He saw who it was and drove off?" Jason said feeling the rage rising.

"Looks that way. He's on his way to Canada." Sonny explained.

"Are you going to stop him?" Steven wanted to know.

"No." Sonny held up his hand. Steven wouldn't understand how this needed to happen, but Jason would. "We are watching him, we want him to cross the border so it looks like he disappeared in the other country. We have friends who are going to meet him on the other side of the border." Those friends would return Lucky to Port Charles. "He won't get away."

Steven nodded.

"From what I can tell Lucky was stoned when he hit Liz and Paulie. Apparently he got suspended earlier in the month for failing a drug test. We don't think what happened was intentional, but I cannot overlook the fact that he stopped and then left them lying in the street." Sonny told the two men. Another driver had found Liz and Paulie in the road. That was all the information they had. "When Lucky is home I will call you."

"Sonny, how is Paulie?" Jason hadn't even thought to ask before now.

"He didn't make it." Sonny said before walking from the room.

"I'm sorry for the loss of your friend." Steven told Jason.

"He took most of the impact. According to the ER staff his injuries say he tried to shield Elizabeth." Jason passed along. "I never saw this coming. I tried to protect her the best I could, but I never saw this coming."

"We don't blame you." Steven told Jason.

"Mmm." Elizabeth hummed and shifted, opening her fingers to flex the hand that Jason held.

Both men were instantly on their feet. "Elizabeth?" Jason whispered. "Baby, I'm right here, so is your brother."

"Lizzie, can you open your eyes?" Steven asked hitting the call button. "Call Patrick." He said when the nurse responded.

Her eyes fluttered and she wrinkled her nose some but her eyes finally opened as Patrick came in followed by Monica and Alan. "Jason?" She asked.

"Right here baby." Jason said smiling. She remembered him.

"Where am I?" She said her eyes darting around in mounting panic.

"You're at the hospital." Jason said kissing her palm.

"Why is it so dark?" She asked her voice hitching with fear.

Everyone looked at one another. "The lights are dimmed so they don't hurt you." Jason cautiously answered as Steven took a penlight from Patrick.

Steven touched Elizabeth and she recoiled grasping for Jason. "Who's there?"

"I'm sorry Lizzie. It's Steven." His heart was beating hard against his chest, hurting for his sister. "I want to have a look at your eyes."

"Jason, doesn't have to leave does he?" Elizabeth wasn't letting him go, she was terrified and needed him close.

"Nope, I'm gonna sit on the bed." Steven told her his moves before making them. "Now I'm going to touch your right shoulder." He waited. "Now the right side of your face, and now I'm going to lift your right eyelid." He took a good long look. "Now the left one."

"Well?" Patrick asked when Steven stood up.

"We need a MRI of her occipital cortex. Her pupils are dilating." Steven was worried about a clot restricting blood flow.

"We didn't see a clot when we went in." Patrick told Steven knowing what the other man was thinking. "Or on the twelve hour scans. A clot should have formed by then."

"Sometimes with trauma they don't." Steven told the other doctor. "I also want a look at Elizabeth's optic nerves to make sure nothing is pressing on them."

"I'll set that up." Alan said leaving the room.

"Liz how dark is it?" Steven needed to know. "Completely black?"

"No, more like dark grey." She said trying to explain what she was seeing. It got lighter for a bit, then dark again."

"Lighter? Like this. I'm going to touch your face again." Steven said flashing the pen light at her once more.

"Yeah." Elizabeth was gripping Jason's hand tight.

"She can see light." Steven smiled some. That was a good sign. Patrick nodded getting the significance of that. Her occipital cortex was getting blood, but not enough to make her eyes work. Hopefully that meant a clot and not damaged tissue.

"What happened? Why am I in the hospital?" Elizabeth remembered walking with Paulie and that's it.

"You were hit by a car." Jason said gently taking her into his arms. He had been so focused on her not remembering him, that he hadn't even considered this.

"Paulie too?" Elizabeth had been right next to him.

Jason looked at his mother who shook her head no. Until they knew what they were dealing with they needed to keep Elizabeth calm. Raising her blood pressure now could have dire consequences. If they were dealing with a clot she could have a stroke on them.

"Yeah. He's in the hospital too." Jason said rocking his girl gently. It wasn't a lie, Paulie would be downstairs in the morgue. Elizabeth would understand why he kept that from her when they got the full picture of her condition.

"Steven is anyone else here?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

"Olivia is at the Quartermaine mansion, they invited us to stay with them." Steven answered.

"They're really nice you'll like them." Elizabeth didn't realize that Monica was in the room. The Chief of Surgery kept quiet not wanting to startle Liz again. Alan knocked. "Who is it?" Elizabeth gripped Jason tighter, and everyone saw her blood pressure go up.

"I know its hard Lizzie, but I need you stay as calm as possible." Steven told his sister.

"Relax baby. I won't let anyone hurt you again." Jason whispered in her ear. "I'm right here keeping you safe. My dad is at the door." He figured information would be the biggest help.

"The MRI is set up. An orderly will be down shortly to take Liz to get her scans." Alan informed the room.

"Can Jason come?" Elizabeth asked still in his arms.

"He certainly can. Steven too." Alan offered before she asked.

"Okay." Elizabeth put her head on Jason's shoulder. She could feel tears threatening and was trying to fight them off.

"Are you in pain?" Steven asked his sister.

"No." She answered in a shaking voice burrowing further into Jason.

"Let one of us know right away if that changes." Steven advised his sister.

"Okay. My head is cold." Elizabeth said as the first tear fell. She was afraid to reach up and touch her hair. It seemed such a silly thing to worry about, but she was pretty sure it was gone.

"We'll get you a hat." Jason said before hiding his face against her neck as he shed tears of his own.

* * *

><p>"Okay we are all set up." The tech told the doctors. "Does Ms. Webber have any music she likes?" MRIs were often scary and they did their best to put the patients at ease.<p>

"She's a big Glee fan." Jason said his eyes glued on his girl who was being rolled into the large machine.

"One Glee mega mix coming up." The tech typed in the request. "Should I give the instructions or would one of you like to do it?" He asked.

"I think hearing Jason's voice will help the most." Steven looked over that the other blonde. "She needs to stay as still as possible."

Jason nodded. "Baby, you need to stay really still."

"Okay." Elizabeth's voice came through the intercom.

"I now you are scared, but you need to relax. I have a surprise for you back in the room." He'd sent for the items while they were waiting. "So if you can lie really still this won't take as long."

"I'll try." Elizabeth forced herself to take a few deep breaths. She didn't like being down here alone. If this was going to be her new reality she would adjust, and she had no doubt Jason would be right there beside her, but right now she wanted him literally right beside her.

In the crowded control room they heard the machine start, and waited for the images to pop up.

* * *

><p>"Can I get you something to drink?" Jason, who was sitting on the side of the bed, asked as the orderlies walked out.<p>

"Yes please." Elizabeth had given herself permission to have a good cry in the MRI tube. Now it was time to buck up.

Jason's hands shook slightly as he poured the cool beverage. "Elizabeth please don't cry in places I can't get to you." He requested. "I almost lost my mind in the control room." Hearing her cry and not being able to hold her was one of the worst feelings in the world. "I know this can't be about me, but I am asking you for this."

"I don't want to be a burden." She said quietly. "I know I'm going to need you a lot, especially in the beginning, but I'm still worried."

Jason gently touched his lips to her forehead as he put the cup in her hand. "You will never be a burden. I'm going to be there when you need me." Sonny had already told him that work shouldn't even be a concern. "Which probably won't be for very long."

"What if I don't get my vision back?" Elizabeth asked as a tear fell.

"Then we will deal with that." Jason wiped her tears away. "We will deal with that together, but for now we need to think positive."

"Can I ask a stupid question?" She wanted to know.

"You can ask me anything and it won't ever be stupid." Jason said urging her to drink.

"Are my eyes still blue? I've always liked my eyes, I think they are my best feature." She said reaching out for his hand which was right there.

"They are, and they are still beautiful." Jason said kissing her again this time on her lips. "How about some surprises?" He wanted to see her smile.

"I like surprises." Elizabeth reached out to find the table and carefully put the cup down.

Jason smiled, even if she remained blind she wouldn't need him for long. She was fighter and would learn to be independent again. He would need to learn to let her because right now he just wanted to do everything for her. "Okay this first."

"Can I guess what it is?" Elizabeth would let him give her this small break.

"Sure." He placed it in her hands.

"Oh, it's so soft." Elizabeth said in a hushed tone letting her fingers move over the item. She felt…what the heck was she feeling? It was oddly shaped. "What is this?"

"Is a hat." Jason said taking it back. "The kind with ear flaps." He placed his hand over hers and helped her feel. "And a ball on top."

"What color is it?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

"Dark green and dark red plaid." Jason gently put it on her head mindful of her bandages.

"That feels nice." It was soft against her scalp. "And warm."

"Good." Jason didn't want her cold. "Ready for the next surprise."

"Okay." Elizabeth gently touched her cap again. She felt better with her head covered.

"I'm going to help you with this one. Open your mouth." He instructed.

"Crinkling paper." Elizabeth noted. The sound was a bit muffled because of the flaps but she wondered if her hearing would sharpen now that her eyes didn't work.

"Open." Jason repeated and popped the treat in her mouth.

"Mmm." Elizabeth closed her eyes in bliss. "So good." A truffle. She left he soft center melt on her tongue as she savored the flavors. "Dark chocolate."

"With a milk chocolate shell, to add a touch of sweetness." Jason told her. "Would you like another?" It was a small pleasure but she could enjoy this whether her eyes worked or not.

"Yes please." Elizabeth wouldn't ever turn down chocolate.

"Have a drink." He handed her the cup and watched as she once again put it down without assistance.

"Open." Jason popped another treat in her mouth. "Good?"

"Oh yes. Cherry." Elizabeth had a small smile on her face. "Are they all different flavors?"

Jason had to take a deep breath, he was getting excited by her obvious enjoyment. His girl made some pretty erotic sounds eating chocolate. "Yeah."

Elizabeth's tongue darted out to wipe her lips and Jason groaned slightly. "Would you like to taste too?" She offered reaching out for him. Her hand landed on his arm and she realized she never asked about the cast, but that could wait a bit. Her fingers explored the texture of his shirt, the skin of his neck, the stubble on his jaw, and finally the coolness of his hair. She pulled him forward until his lips met hers and sank into the kiss.

Jason slanted his mouth over hers and silently asked for more. She opened and his tongue dipped inside. His girl was so sweet, her own flavor mixed with chocolate and cherry. His arms came around her gently, because she was bruised, and held her close. The kiss was getting good when they got interrupted.

"What do you think you're doing?" Steven was standing there with Patrick, Monica, and Alan.

Elizabeth dropped her head against Jason's chest and started giggling. "I just got busted by my big brother while making out with my boyfriend."

Jason's glare at the interruption morphed into a grin at his girl's laughter. "We were kissing." He dipped his head. "My parents and Patrick are with Steven." That made her blush.

"None of that." Steven said grinning too. "It raises the blood pressure. Keep the kissing short." He instructed. "We reviewed the images." He said getting in doctor mode. "There is a clot in the vision center of your brain, as well as some bruised tissue."

"If you take out the clot will my vision return?" Elizabeth asked still in Jason's arms.

"We don't know." Patrick took over as he was the neurosurgeon. "We feel confident that if the clot is gone it will improve the odds of you getting at least some of your vision back, but full vision might not return until the tissue heals."

"Or it might not return at all." Steven wouldn't lie to his sister.

"So surgery?" Jason asked worried. Brain surgery was a risky matter.

"We could wait and see if the clot shrinks some. If it does we can blast it with lasers dissolving it." Patrick took over again.

"Why can't we do that now?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

"The clot is too big, we would fry your brain." Steven grinned knowing his sister would hear that.

Elizabeth giggled. Gallows humor was common in her family. "Can't have that. So I go home and wait?"

"No." Monica spoke up. "You can't leave. Because of the situation you have an increased chance of having a stroke. Blood is getting around the clot right now, but if it swells that will stop. We won't have time to wait for Jason's to drive you in, you'll need to be taken into surgery right away." She explained as gently as possible.

"That's why Steven wants to know about pain?" Jason looked at the grouping of doctors.

"Yes, if the clot swells it will cause swift and incredible pain." Patrick informed them.

"So my choices are to wait and see, or to just have the surgery now?" Elizabeth said to be clear.

"Yeah." Steven told her.

"What should I do?" She asked her brother.

"Elizabeth, I can't advise you on this. You're my baby sister. Patrick will do the surgery, but has offered to let me assist." Steven walked over and took her hand.

"Do you remember when I was little and I couldn't sleep. You would come into my room and sit on the side of the bed." Elizabeth pulled urging him closer. "You would say pretend with me, and we would take the most incredible journeys until I finally fell asleep."

"Yeah." Steven could feel his eyes stinging.

"Pretend with me Steven." Elizabeth said putting her head on Jason's shoulder. "Pretend I'm not your sister, but a patient you've never met before. A chart you reviewed before walking in the room. What would you say?"

Steven wondered if his sister had always been this strong. "I'd say have the surgery. There are risks."

"I know. Dr. Drake, what is your opinion?" Elizabeth didn't doubt her brother, but she knew in a situation like this a second opinion was a smart move.

"Have the surgery." Patrick told her.

"Let me and Jason talk about it. We'll let you know in about an hour. If that's okay?" Elizabeth requested.

"That's fine." Alan assured her.

"I do have a request. If I have the surgery, do it in a room with a gallery so the students can see. No point in wasting a teachable moment." Elizabeth told the room.

"Always thinking like a teacher." Jason teased. He was scared, but if she wanted to have the surgery would support her choice.

"I love an audience, but you are probably going to want to leave the hat here. Man that sucker is ugly." Patrick said laughing. "Everyone out and let the patient and her boyfriend talk."

* * *

><p>"They're gone." Jason told her.<p>

Elizabeth sighed and closed her eyes briefly before starting to talk. "When I was hurt, I thought that if I could just survive then nothing bad would happen to me again. I don't mean I would have a perfect life, I mean something really bad. I thought I'd had my turn. It was what I told myself to keep going." Her voice shook and Jason's arms tightened around her in silent support. "I'm scared."

"Me too." Jason admitted.

"What do you think I should do?" Elizabeth tightened her arms as much as her sore body would allow.

He knew she wasn't asking him to make this choice for her but to give his honest opinion on the situation. "I think the operation is your best option. Despite the risks surgery prevents, I don't want you to possibly have a stroke." If it didn't kill her then she would have to deal with that and her blindness. "But if you don't want that I will support you."

"I had four world-class surgeons in here, two of them said have the surgery. I'm guessing your parents would have agreed if I asked them as well." Elizabeth paused for a moment. "Lie down with me, I'm tired. When we wake up we'll tell Dr. Drake to set it up."

"Okay." Jason kicked off his shoes and got into the hospital bed spooning up with his girl.

"Jason?" Elizabeth felt so safe in his arms.

"Yeah baby?" He never wanted to let her go.

"Is my hat really ugly?" She asked him.

"Yeah, it is." He said laughing.

* * *

><p>"She's waking up." Steven said stepping back so Patrick could get closer. Jason was on the other side of the bed and he wasn't moving.<p>

"Elizabeth." Patrick called out to his patient. She'd done great during the surgery, and now they wanted to know the results. The clot came out in one piece so now they just needed to worry about the injured tissue causing problems.

"Tired." She grumbled.

"I know baby, but can you open your eyes?" Jason requested.

Elizabeth blinked and then squinted. She really wanted to sleep some more. Turning her head she looked at Jason. "Hi."

"You can see me?" Jason asked smiling.

"Blurry." Elizabeth said struggling to keep her eyes open.

"That's not surprising. She may need glasses in the short-term, or even the long-term." Patrick cautioned again. He had told them before surgery. Elizabeth's brain would continue to heal, which should improve her vision but she might not ever be twenty/twenty again. Even if she was she might now need glasses for reading or driving. But the fact that she could see at all was fantastic.

"Her vision may change once she's fully awake." Steven was also smiling. "But this is great." He said what Patrick was thinking.

"She's going back to sleep." Jason told the doctors.

"That's fine." Patrick told him. "We just wanted her awake to know there was no problem with the gas and to see how the surgery went. It helped that we didn't have to completely open her skull, so we didn't have her under for long." They only made a small hole to insert the probe. They had hoped to go in through her nose, but the obstruction was in the wrong spot for that to work. The whole procedure only took four hours. "First round is on you." Patrick told Steven.

"All the rounds are on me. Thank you." He said shaking Patrick's hand.

"We're going to hang out in my office exchanging war stories. Page me when she wakes up again." Patrick instructed.

Jason sat next to the bed and kissed his girl's hand. This was a great day, Elizabeth had come through surgery with flying colors, and Sonny had called to say Lucky Spencer was no longer breathing. That asshole had paid for hurting Elizabeth. They still had some things to deal with, but she was going to be alright and that was all that mattered.

* * *

><p>AN: Hi All! Just an update on the stories. Bad To The Bone is going to start on Friday. It is not fully edited so there will be one chapter a day. When that is done I will post a short story based on Deb's prompt The Lottery. Third in the queue is Take My Hand, a full length strictly Romance story which a lot of you have been asking for. Those who need drama and angst will probably want to skip that one. I try to cover as many requests as possible, and a pure Romance has been on the list for over a year so it was time to tackle that one. I am still doing the one shot series, I have written through February of next year so far. I am also working on my long story, and will be starting a new project after Thanksgiving. That's all I have for now.

Thanks for the reviews!


	11. Chapter 11

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

><p>At The Closing of the Year<p>

Thirty days have September, April, June and November. February has 28 alone. All the rest have 31; except leap year, that's the time, when February days are 29. Elizabeth learned that Mother Goose rhyme in first grade. It was commonly taught to children so they knew how many days each month contained. While she was always aware of the passing of the days, as a teacher her life was ruled by the calendar, these last thirty days seem to be seared in her brain.

In the last thirty days everything had changed. In big ways and small.

The big were easily spotted. Paulie was gone. The guard had given his life to save hers. It was an act so selfless Elizabeth was still struggling to come to terms with it.

Another big change was that Steven was still here. After her second surgery, the one that restored her sight, he had sat down with Olivia and said he wanted to stay in Port Charles. He needed to be here to support Elizabeth through her recovery. Olivia had completely agreed, not only for her sister in-law's sake, living in upstate New York put her closer to her family in Brooklyn. So Steven had served notice in Memphis and joined the staff of General Hospital.

Still another big change was that Elizabeth was on long term leave from work. Brain surgery was not a light matter, and she had two surgeries in under seventy-two hours. Time to heal was required. Patrick wanted her resting. It was something all the doctors in her family agreed with, and yes that included the Quartermaines.

Every single member of the Webber/Hardy clan had descended on the small harbor town. And every single one of them wanted access to her chart. Patrick, who wasn't used to having his work questioned, took it in stride. He understood because he had a lot of doctors in his family as well. Luckily all her family members agreed with the course of recovery the neurosurgeon laid out. Elizabeth managed to get most of them to leave after the first two weeks. Her parents however were still here. Monica had offered them the guest house for as long as they needed it, and they accepted.

Yet another big change, although small in actual size were the glasses. The blurriness that Elizabeth experienced upon waking had eventually gone away, but she still had trouble reading, driving, and seeing far away. So off to the optometrist she had gone and gotten a smart pair of square tortoise shell frames. Which Jason seemed to really like. Elizabeth caught him smiling at her whenever she had them on. If they had to stay she wouldn't mind. She could see, and that was all the mattered.

Lots of big chances, and she was dealing with them just fine. Having sessions with Dr. Winters helped. After her last trauma Elizabeth knew starting therapy right away was the smart thing to do, so she had made an appointment before getting discharged.

There was one more change. It was something incredibly minor in the grand scheme of things. Something that wasn't even permanent, over the last thirty days she had already seen a change in this small thing. Yet it was the one thing Elizabeth was having the hardest time adjusting to. Which was surprising because vain was something she wasn't.

Her hair was gone.

Okay gone wasn't the right word. She had one inch of hair exactly. She knew because she measured it. Not even long enough to curl just yet. The soft new growth covered her whole head so she was no longer practically bald, but she still felt ugly and like she was looking at a stranger in the mirror.

Dr. Winters said this wasn't surprising. The lack of hair was the most obvious physical sign of what had happened. If the glasses bothered Elizabeth she could take them off, but her lack of hair wasn't something Elizabeth could do anything about. She had no choice but the wait for it to grow in.

"That's not true." Elizabeth said to herself. She was standing in the bathroom trying not to look at herself in the mirror. Her reflection was something she avoided these days. "I could get a wig." Monica had suggested that. As a breast cancer survivor she gone through this as well. Elizabeth just couldn't see herself wearing one, so instead she wore scarves. Bright, colorful scarves that made her feel like everyone was staring at her.

"Babe." Jason tapped on the closed bathroom door. "We need to leave soon."

"Okay. I'll be right out." Elizabeth said reaching for the blue scarf she was wearing today.

"I'll be downstairs." Jason said before walking from the room. He would wait on the couch for her to come down. He sat on the soft chair and stretched out his legs. Today was the last day he was going to be home all day. Lainey had said it was time that Jason got back to his normal routine. That it was time for Elizabeth to start to figure out how she was going to spend her days while on leave. The doctor didn't want them becoming co-dependent on one another.

Jason had no clue how he was going to function. He had a hard time letting her out of his sight, or trusting her safety to anyone else. Which made no sense. Paulie's death had proven that the guys took their jobs seriously. Still Jason felt better when Elizabeth was by his side. Especially since she was still struggling a bit.

It had taken him almost a week to figure out what she was struggling with. The fact that her hair had been cut off for surgery didn't matter to him. If she never had hair again it wouldn't change how beautiful he thought she was, but it was changing how she thought of herself. His girl was hiding from him. She never let him see her without one of those damned scarves on her head. He was coming to hate those colorful pieces of silk.

To be honest that she felt the need to cover up hurt some. Which he did his best to hide. She should know that their love wasn't based on the physical. That no outer change would make him turn from her. She was still his Elizabeth. The woman he loved with everything inside him. Her lack of hair didn't come close to changing that. He had no idea how to talk to her about this, how to make her see that she was still beautiful to him. So he tried in small ways. Flowers, notes telling her he loved her, cuddling her close. But she was still shutting part of herself away.

"I'm ready." Elizabeth said coming down the steps.

Jason got up and grabbed her coat and holding it open. "Did you want to go to lunch after your appointment?"

"No, we can come home. I'll fix us something here." Elizabeth said as she buttoned the heavy garment. She knew Jason hated the scarves. Hated what they represented. But what was she supposed to do, he loved her hair. There was no way he would want to see what she looked like now.

"We should get a tree soon." Jason said as they walked to the elevator. Elizabeth rarely left the house unless it was to go to the hospital. Staying in all the time wasn't healthy. So he would push a bit.

"Yeah, I guess so." Elizabeth always felt like a freak out in public. "I should get a hat then. Hold the elevator."

"Sure thing." Jason said putting his foot by the door.

Back in the penthouse Elizabeth opened the large front closet and got down one of her hat boxes. In addition to a multitude of scarves she now owned plenty of hats as well. She selected a black knit newsboy style cap. This would keep her warm and anyone looking would think her hair was tucked up underneath. "Thanks."

"Are you nervous about the visit?" Jason asked her.

"No. Patrick said I looked good at the two week visit, and I feel the same." Elizabeth looked up briefly before looking down again. "I don't think anything will be different."

"Good." Jason said before they lapsed back into a heavy silence.

* * *

><p>"Hey squirt." Steven was waiting in Patrick's outer office when they arrived. He was listed as a consultant on the case and had been at the last visit. "How are you feeling?" He asked giving his sister a hug.<p>

"Good." Elizabeth said because her brother was asking about her physical state of being. "You sitting in?"

"Not today." Steven didn't want to be in the room when Patrick told Liz she could resume her sex life. There were somethings a brother didn't need to know about. His sister was healing well. Reading still gave her a headache, thus the glasses and leave from work. As an English teacher she did a lot of reading. Otherwise she was doing great. On paper. Steven was a good doctor and he could tell his sister was hurting.

"Ms. Webber?" The nurse came out to escort Elizabeth to the back.

"I'll wait here." Jason told her. Elizabeth would have to take her scarf off and he knew that with him in the room that would make her uncomfortable.

"Thanks." Elizabeth said softly before heading back.

"You want to talk about it?" Steven asked Jason.

Jason just looked at Steven.

"We can't help if the two of you are gonna put up walls." Steven told the younger man. "It's her hair isn't it?"

"Yeah." Jason said taking a seat. The reception area was empty.

"I told you she didn't like short hair. The last time it was really short one of the boys in her class put gum in her hair. I'm pretty sure it was intentional." Steven grinned. "Mom tried everything but couldn't get it out so snip snip. Elizabeth cried for about a week straight."

"How old was she?" Jason asked the surgeon.

"Ten." Steven said grinning. "It was a week before picture day. She flat out refused to sit for pictures, she wouldn't even sit for the class picture. To this day my mom is upset that she doesn't have a fifth grade picture of Liz. How short is it?"

"No clue, she won't let me see. I haven't seen her head since we left the hospital. She even sleeps in one of those damn scarves. If she isn't wearing a scarf then she's wearing a hat." Jason huffed.

"Have you said anything?" Steven wanted to know.

"No." Jason said shaking his head. "She's been hurt enough. I just need to be patient."

Steven could see that Jason was hurting for his sister. "You need to speak up. Elizabeth will take your silence the wrong way."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked confused.

"How much do you know about my sister's past?" Steven started slowly.

"I know she was hurt." Jason knew exactly what information Steven was searching for.

"Okay. After that the family treated Lizzie like spun glass. We were terrified of making the situation worse. I was in residency in Philly, and came up whenever my schedule allowed. Only thing was when I got here I had no clue what to say. So we sat in silence a lot. Finally one day she looked at me and asked me if I was angry at her for getting hurt."

"Why did she think that?" Jason wanted to know.

"She thought I wasn't saying anything because I blamed her. Everyone else in the family talked her ear off during visits and phone calls. Filled up the silence so that Lizzie didn't have to think about what had happened to her for a while. I didn't do that, so in her mind that meant I was angry. I was shocked that she made that leap, so when I went back to Philly I talked with a friend of mine who was in the Psych program. He told me that often victims blame themselves and they project that feeling on those around them." Steven paused and saw that Jason was still listening. "If she feels ugly, she may feel your silence is because you feel she is unattractive right now as well."

"Nothing could be further from the truth." Jason hadn't even considered Elizabeth might be thinking that.

"Find a way to talk to her." Steven suggested. "I have to go pretend to work. Think about it."

"I will, thanks." Jason settled in to do just that. Five minutes later he made a phone call.

* * *

><p>Elizabeth sat in the front seat of Jason's truck as they drove to the tree lot and thought about what Patrick had told her. While she wasn't ready to return to work, she was ready to resume all other normal activities. She was healing nicely so he no longer felt the need to have restrictions in place. The stairs weren't off limits after one trip up and down. She could resume driving at night. And the big one, she and Jason could be intimate again.<p>

She missed him, and wanted to be close. But would he? Maybe with the lights off it wouldn't be so bad. He wouldn't actually have to look at her head.

Elizabeth had cautiously asked Patrick if she could use an over the counter hair growth tonic. The one they advertised on television all the time. He said that since her surgical site wasn't completely healed yet it wasn't an option at this time, but maybe in two weeks. By then the sutures would be coming out. The site wasn't that big, and he assured her the scaring would be minimal, which was one less worry, so Elizabeth would wait. If the product worked like promised then by Valentine's Day she'd have a lot more hair. Hopefully Jason wouldn't mind waiting.

"We're here." Jason looked over at Elizabeth and smiled. Steven's words had been bouncing around in his head. He needed to do better, and he was already starting to figure out how.

"What kind of tree do you want?" Elizabeth reached up and made sure her hat was secure.

"I'm not picky." Jason said before getting out of the car and coming around to help her down. "Get whatever calls to you." He said taking her hand in his. She looked surprised and he wanted to kick his own ass. They had gotten out of the habit of holding hands, because he didn't want to crowd her. His actions had been giving off the wrong impression.

Elizabeth liked that he was holding her hand. She missed how connected she felt at the small action "You may regret that. I love the Charlie Brown Christmas special. I tend to get trees like that."

"You mean tiny little trees?" It took him a minute to figure out what she meant.

"Exactly." Elizabeth said looking up at Jason and smiling some.

Jason wanted a big tree, it was their first Christmas together. He wanted something they would have to spend an hour decorating, and then they could sit with the lights off and the fireplace blazing. "We will get whatever tree you like." He said with a pained smile.

"Maybe we could get two? One for the bedroom and one for downstairs." Elizabeth offered.

"That would work. Do you want a wreath?" Jason asked her.

"No, I'm going to make one out of ribbon." Elizabeth remembered making one with her Gram, and since she had time on her hands she would do that again.

"Really?" Jason smiled over at her. "I can't wait to see it."

"We'll need to stop off at the craft store on the way home." Elizabeth already knew what she needed.

"That won't be a problem." Jason said giving her hand a squeeze.

* * *

><p>His girl was picky about her trees, but they finally found two that worked. One was indeed a sad specimen and the lot owner seemed surprised that anyone would want it. They went over to the small shack to pay and while standing at the register the clerk grinned and pointed up. Both Elizabeth and Jason raised their heads and saw the mistletoe. Elizabeth immediately looked away. Yes Jason still kissed her but they were generally short pecks at bedtime.<p>

Jason hadn't gotten the impression over the last month that Elizabeth wanted to be kissed, but thinking back on what Steven said Jason wasn't going to let this opportunity pass. Gently he brought her face back to him and leaning down covered her lips with his.

Now Jason was not a big fan of public displays of affection. Hand holding was great, hugging was fine and short kisses were acceptable. His rules went right out the window when Elizabeth softened beneath him. His tongue swiped her lower lips and when she opened he kissed her deeper. For a long moment his lips moved over hers before he pulled back. His girl was standing there with her eyes closed and her swollen lips turned up in a smile. One he had to answer.

"We're gonna need to add some mistletoe to that order." Jason told the grinning clerk.

* * *

><p>They got the trees home and spent the rest of the evening decorating them. However the first thing Jason did when he got inside was hang the mistletoe. For the rest of the holiday he planned on catching her beneath it as often as possible. It was the best night they had since the accident.<p>

* * *

><p>The next morning Jason went to work. Walking out the penthouse damn near killed him. Gary was on the door and he promised that if Ms. Webber wasn't doing well he would call. Jason still didn't want to leave, but he had to. He had arranged a surprise for Elizabeth and he needed to not be home when it happened. So he left the building and went to his office at the warehouse where he worried about how she was doing, and if his surprise was going to be received the way he intended it to be.<p>

* * *

><p>Elizabeth had just finished her ribbon wreath. She had gotten thick gold and red ribbon and the craft had turned out wonderful. Now all she had to do was hang it on the door. Since the penthouse door was steel, she would need to get one of those hooks with glue pads on the back. Maybe she would call Jason and ask him to pick one up on his way home. It would be a good excuse to call him.<p>

Yesterday had been great. For the first time since the accident Elizabeth felt pretty. That kiss under the mistletoe had been wonderful. She was hoping that maybe tonight Jason might want to do more kissing. She was also wondering if maybe she had been misreading how he was feeling. Not about the scarves, she knew she was dead on about him not liking them. But maybe she was wrong about him not finding her attractive anymore. After all Jason wasn't a shallow person he wouldn't judge her on her looks.

"Ms. Webber, you have a delivery." Gary said holding out the plant.

"Thank you." Elizabeth put the white poinsettia down and removed the attached envelope. It wasn't the normal small one that came with floral deliveries. This a legal sized envelope, the kind you sent letters in, and the handwriting was Jason's. Why would he write her a letter?

"_Dear Elizabeth,_

_I wasn't sure how to start this letter. There are so many things I need for you to know. So I'll start with the most important thing. I love you. I love everything about you. Your laugh. Your smile. Your devotion to your students. Your devotion to your friends and family. Your eyes. Your soft lips. Your big heart. And your hair. I love you hair. How soft it is, how it shines in the light, how it feels when I run my fingers through it. Your hair is a part of you. And now it's gone."_

Elizabeth wiped away tears as she kept reading.

"_So does that mean I love you less? No, it doesn't. But I'm worried that you now love yourself less. The hair is often referred to as a woman's crowning glory. But Elizabeth it's only one thing I see when I look at you. One part of the incredible woman you are. I want you to see what I see when I look at you. I see my beautiful girl, even without your hair you're still my beautiful girl. _

_Since the accident you've been hiding from me, and I let you. I was afraid that if I said something I would unintentionally hurt you. Instead I kept silent, I hid too, and that only wounded you more. So I'm not keeping quiet anymore. I want to see you Elizabeth, all of you. I want you to see that I accept you, all of you, just as you are._

_I talked to my mother and she told me that how Alan perceived her was only part of the problem she had. Another part was that when she went out she felt like everyone knew she had lost her hair. So I'd like to help you with that as well. I made an appointment for you to go see a wig maker. I'm not saying you need hair, let me repeat that. YOU DON'T NEED HAIR TO BE BEAUTIFUL TO ME. Okay? But I think having hair, especially when we go out, will help boost your confidence. Emily will be by to get you at eleven. Go out and have fun. Even if you don't get a wig, have fun._

_I love you baby, always,_

_Jason _

Elizabeth put the letter down and just sobbed. She had no idea he had seen what she had been trying so hard to hide. Looking up at the clock she saw it was ten-forty. Emily would be here in twenty minutes. Elizabeth had flat out rejected the suggestion of a wig from both Monica and Lainey. Just because Jason was suggesting it didn't mean she was going to automatically change her mind. But would it hurt to go look? The appointment was already made, so why not? Getting up Elizabeth washed her face and got ready to go out.

* * *

><p>"Have you ever owned a wig before?" Elizabeth asked Emily. Gary was driving them over to the shop. Because crime rose during the holiday season, Marco was tagging along.<p>

"No, but I went with my mom when she got hers." Emily had been surprised, but pleased, when Jason called. She had too seen that Liz was off, but didn't know how to help her friend. "The lady we are going to see does good work."

They pulled up and walked into the shop. The receptionist greeted them and offered coffee, which everyone declined.

"Ms. Webber?" A tall woman came out from the back.

"That's me." Elizabeth said standing.

"I'm Cynthia Allison. Welcome, why don't you come on back? You are welcome to bring your friends." The shop owner offered.

"Em, will you come with me?" Elizabeth was nervous.

"Sure." Emily stood up and followed them back.

"Okay." Cynthia showed them into a private viewing room in the back. "The first thing we are going to do is have a look at the wigs. They are all one hundred percent human hair, and come with life time maintenance. I want to get a sense of what your style is. I do recommend that you try on a lot of different styles and colors. Wigs are a great way to play, you can be a different person every day of the week if you want. Yesterday I was a blonde, today I'm a brunette. Who knows what I'll be tomorrow." She said laughing. "So let's take a walk. Tell me about your natural hair."

"Long, just past my shoulders. Brown, naturally curly." Elizabeth provided.

"Dark brown, light brown, big curls, tight curls." Cynthia wanted to know.

"Chestnut brown." Elizabeth thought that was the right color. "Loose curls."

"Like this?" Cynthia pointed to a head with a wig.

"Yes. Like that." Elizabeth said smiling.

"Okay." Cynthia flipped the display tag so her assistant would know to pull the wig. Now that we have your normal hair, have you ever considered cutting your hair?" She looked at her client. "With your bone structure a long bob would be fantastic. All one length, no bangs."

"Okay." Elizabeth would trust the professional.

"Let's try this one." She flipped another tag. "In your natural color, and in dark auburn." Cynthia suggested flipping another tag. "Now if you get a different color wig than your natural hair, you may want to consider tinting your brows."

"You would look great with that deep auburn." Emily said speaking up. She thought the cut would look good as well.

"Maybe." Elizabeth was having trouble seeing it.

They continued walking reaching the end of that aisle, picking two more brown wigs. One with copper lowlights and ash blonde highlights. The other was poker straight with blunt bangs. The next aisle was blondes, and Cynthia said to skip that color. That it would just wash Elizabeth out. They picked three black haired wigs from the third aisle, including a pageboy styled wig. "Now how about color." Cynthia grinned as they entered the fourth aisle. "Pink, green, blue." The older woman laughed.

"I don't think so. "Elizabeth said shaking her head.

"Look fire engine red." Emily said touching the straight long hair. "You could be like Sydney from Alias." The young doctor really like this one.

"Dr. Quartermaine you are welcome to try that on if you like." Cynthia offered. She remembered Emily from Monica's appointment.

"What do you think?" Emily asked Liz.

"You should." Maybe having Em trying on wigs too would make this easier.

"Okay, I will." Emily said laughing. Dante wouldn't be a fan, but it would be fun to be someone else.

"Since you are trying on a wig as well. I have another you might like." Cynthia offered. It was a dark blonde wig, and she would look amazing. "Shall we go to the fitting room?"

"Yes." Elizabeth was surprised to realize she was excited to see how she looked in the different styles.

"This is going to be fun." Emily said linking her arm with her friends.

"Yeah, it is." Elizabeth agreed smiling.

* * *

><p>Jason nodded to the guards as he let himself into the penthouse. He smiled at the wreath, it looked really nice against the black door. "Babe, I'm home." He called out shrugging off his jacket. It was only three, but he couldn't stay at the office any longer. He had pretended to work long enough for one day.<p>

"Hi." Elizabeth called from upstairs. "Close your eyes."

"Um, okay." Jason tried to pick up if she was upset from her tone, but couldn't. He heard her come down the steps and stop in front of him.

"Open your eyes." Elizabeth said only a little nervous.

"Whoa." Jason said taking in her new look.

"You like it." Elizabeth was wearing the wig she picked out. The long dark auburn bob. She liked this look so much, that she was considering getting her natural hair styled and colored like this when it grew in.

"You're beautiful." Jason said smiling. "And not because of the hair. Which is nice." He added on.

"The glasses?" She said smiling back at him.

"No, although I think the glasses are hot." Jason admitted. "It's you. You're glowing." She had her head up, and her eyes were sparkling.

"I feel beautiful, and not because of the hair. Which yes is nice. I'm going to wear it when we go out. I'd like to feel normal." She said trying to explain and when he nodded she knew he understood. "I've felt beautiful since I read your letter." Reaching out she took his hand in hers. "I forgot that you see me. I don't know how that's possible after what you did for me on Valentine's Day, but I did. You see me and you love me." Taking a deep breath Elizabeth reached up and slowly pulled off the wig.

Jason just smiled wider as his eyes filled with tears. She left him in awe with her trust. "Can I touch you?" He asked quietly.

"Okay." Elizabeth answered in the same tone.

Gently Jason ran his hands over her hair. "It's so soft. Like Michael's hair."

"New growth. It will be healthier than my old hair." Elizabeth explained. "I don't think I'll just sit around without a scarf on all the time." She told him. "I do still get cold easier, but I'm not going to hide from you anymore. I don't have to. So I'm not going to wear one to bed." That was a good start.

"Thank you." Jason said feeling like he'd gotten his Christmas gift early. "I was worried you wouldn't understand what I was trying to do with the letter."

"I see you too Jason. Over the past month I haven't really looked." And that was on her. "But I'm looking now and I see you."

Jason nodded and wiped his eyes.

"Know what else I see?" Elizabeth put the wig on the coffee table and came back. When Jason opened his arms she walked into them.

"No." He said looking down into her smiling face.

"I see that you are standing under the mistletoe." Elizabeth said blushing slightly.

Jason looked up. "I am aren't I. So are you." He pointed out.

"I am." Elizabeth agreed, feeling so incredibly light. "I think you owe me a kiss."

Jason dipped his head, not having to be told twice. He kissed her letting all the love he had flow from him into her, and he could feel her doing the same. His hands came up and cupped her cheek holding her still, and keeping her close. "I love you Elizabeth."

"I love you Jason." Elizabeth leaned against him. "Patrick cleared me for sex."

"Really?" Jason said grinning. "I think we should celebrate."

"Me too." Elizabeth giggled and taking his hand pulling him up the stairs to their bedroom. A few minutes later she ran back downstairs, grabbed her new wig, and ran back upstairs slamming the bedroom door shut.

* * *

><p>Thanks for the reviews!<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone happiness and peace in 2015!

* * *

><p>Auld Lang Syne<p>

"You look stunning." Jason said standing as his girl walked down the stairs.

"Thank you." Elizabeth responded smiling. She felt sexy in the outfit, which was the point.

"I thought it was in bad taste to wear black to a wedding. For women." Jason cleared up. His tuxedo was the dark hue.

"I would think that normally would be the case, but since Kelly is the bride and she picked the dresses normal wasn't going to happen." Elizabeth said smoothing a hand down the garment. "She is wearing red, a traditional bridal color for Asian brides, but not a common choice here in America. So she wanted us in black." And she wanted her party to be sexy which still made Elizabeth laugh. Emily's jaw had dropped when they arrived at the first fitting.

The floor length shape hugging floral gown was a scene stealer for sure. It was the kind of gown you wore if you wanted people to be talking about you the next day. It was also not the type of gown that appeared in most weddings. A bridal party in dresses with a nude underlay covered with sheer lace was probably only something Kelly Lee could get away with. Since she was going to officially be the first bride of the new calendar year in Port Charles the doctor wanted to set the bar high. Almost as high as the heel on the shoes on the bride's feet. Most of the other ladies were wearing tall heels as well, but not Liz so she had been feeling kind of short at the fittings. Patrick had said no to that early on and wasn't changing his mind. Elizabeth paired her outfit with kitten heels, her swan ring, the earrings Kelly purchased for the entire bridal party, and the stunning bracelet Jason had given her for Christmas.

To say her boyfriend had been generous was an understatement. In addition to the bracelet that came in a Robin's egg blue box, there was a brand new computer, a brand new car, and a home in Sicily that they would be visiting this summer. Elizabeth had been struck speechless by that last one because it was in her name as well as Jason's.

Tonight's look was finished off with one of Liz's wigs. This one was a long curly brown number with subtle auburn lowlights. Her hair was growing in nicely, but when they got dressed up to spend an evening out she still wore something on her head.

"Are you nervous about being in the wedding?" Jason was a groomsman. Not the one escorting Elizabeth down the aisle though. That was Shawn. Jason was escorting Nadine because Johnny was acting as the best man and, would already be standing beside Francis. The only lady walking down the aisle unescorted was Carly who was the matron of honor.

"No." Elizabeth said giving her makeup one last look. "I have been in every wedding in our family since I was able to walk." She said smiling as she let Jason put her wrap on her shoulders. A coat wasn't needed because she was only walking from the limo to the elevator in the underground parking lot at the hotel. The ceremony was in the grand ballroom, followed by hors d'oeuvres in the main lobby while the ballroom was set up for dinner. It was going to be a fun evening, and Elizabeth's first big night out since her accident. "Although there was never press coverage for any of the family weddings." She remarked as they got onto the elevator.

"The guys won't let anyone bother you." Jason promised. Since Elizabeth's release from the hospital all the guys had been extremely protective of her. Marco was now her full time guard and he took his responsibility seriously. Milo had dropped by the office last week to promise Jason that when Elizabeth returned to school next month he would check on her a couple times a day to make sure she was doing alright.

"I know." Elizabeth had no doubt about how seriously the guards took their duties. Paulie had died to save her. That was something she would never forget. Jason had promised that there would always be fresh flowers on the fallen guard's grave in remembrance of his bravery. "I expect a kiss as soon as the wedding is over."

"So do I." Jason said smiling wide. The ceremony was timed so that Francis and Kelly would kiss at midnight. So when the calendar turned she would be Mrs. Francis Corelli, although Kelly was keeping her maiden name for work. So that meant the folks in the bridal party would have to wait a few moments for their traditional kiss. He planned on keeping his girl close after that so no one else even thought about planting their lips on hers. Starting the New Year off with an arrest for kicking someone's ass was not something he wanted to happen. Jason just laughed to himself about his possessive streak as the elevator doors opened.

They were holding hands as they walked to the limo. Marco had the door open and when his boss and girlfriend where inside he went to sit up front with the driver.

* * *

><p>"Kelly Lee." Diane said looking her friend over. "I imagine that every bride in this city will be walking past white gowns for at least the next six months." The attorney couldn't pull it off a red wedding gown, not that she was looking to get married, but the doctor looked fantastic.<p>

"Well they will be avoiding red too, because I look that good." Kelly said totally meaning it as she looked in the mirror. She looked amazing something she had no problem admitting. Like her bridesmaids the dress was sexy, and more than stood up to what the ladies were wearing. "Francis was excited when I said I wasn't wearing white." Kelly had given her friends a crash course in Asian culture when they were having their fittings. Despite living in America for the last twenty years her grandparents, on both sides, still held to many traditional beliefs. One being that white was a color worn for mourning. So there would be no white wedding dress for this ceremony. Since the only white thing Kelly owned was her lab coat she didn't argue. She looked good in white, it just wasn't a color she particularly liked.

"Diane's right." Elizabeth said handing Kelly her bouquet. They would be lining up any second now to get the ceremony underway. "You look stunning. I bet you'll be on the front page of the paper tomorrow."

"I won't be alone." Kelly said looking at her friend. Elizabeth looked good, and she bet that was because Jason was taking such good care of her. They had come too close to losing a member of their family. "I'll make sure they use a picture of the entire wedding party." There was a knock on the door, and Kelly took a deep breath. This was it. "Okay gals, let's get to it. I got me a man to marry."

Elizabeth and the other ladies laughed as they got to their feet and headed out of the changing room.

* * *

><p>It was a beautiful ceremony and there wasn't a dry eye in the house by the time the vows had been recited. The clock edged toward midnight as the judge began his closing remarks. "The bride and groom have requested that everyone in attendance join them at midnight when they kiss for the first time as husband and wife."<p>

"Go stand with your ladies." Francis said turning to his friends. He and Kelly hadn't told anyone but the judge that they were planning to do this and he was enjoying the grins the guys were giving him. "You too Sonny." Francis told his boss who was sitting in the front row on the groom's side.

Once everyone was in place the judge continued. "By the power vested in me by the great state of New York. I pronounce you man and wife. You may count down and then kiss your bride." He finished laughing.

Jason was standing with his arm around his girlfriend's waist and he looked at his watch. "Ready?" He asked her.

"Yeah." Elizabeth was looking forward to a new year. Her first resolution was to make sure that the people in her life knew that they were loved, starting with the incredible man standing beside her. Her second was to fully embrace the second chance she had been given. She had dreams to pursue, and this year she was really going to try.

"Three, two, one." Jason said counting down the last few second. "Happy New Year baby, I love you."

"I love you too." Elizabeth said softly as her boyfriend's lips covered hers.

"May I present Francis and Kelly Corelli." The judge said and every applauded.

When the bride and groom walked back up the aisle the party followed them out.

* * *

><p>Because the wedding started so late it was after five in the morning when the reception ended. Since a good number of guests were local there were shuttles so that no one would be drinking and driving. Jason escorted his girlfriend back to the limo as they waved goodnight to their friends. "Did you have fun?" He asked. They had spent most of the reception out on the dance floor.<p>

"I had a blast." Elizabeth said putting her head on his shoulder. "This was a wonderful way to ring in the new year. Surrounded by our friends and family." She was tired, but it was a good tired. "I can't wait to see the wedding album when it's finished. I also can't wait to hear about the honeymoon. I looked up Bali on the internet, it looks gorgeous." She was fading some. This had been a long day for her.

"We can go if you like." Jason said quietly. He expected her to fall asleep, was in fact planning on it. The accident had been six weeks ago, and her stamina wasn't at the level it had been before she was struck by the car. Although in the last month she had been doing much better. Still tonight she had really maxed out her energy.

"Mmm." Elizabeth said drifting off to sleep. It was warm in the limo, the motion of the car was soothing, and her guy was with her. Her eyes were sliding shut on their own. "You're going to have to carry me in." She murmured.

"That's not a problem." Jason said softly. "Go to sleep." She was wrapped in his suit jacket to keep warm. He watched smiling as she did just that. Carefully he reached for the phone. "Okay." He told the driver and settled in for the ride.

* * *

><p>Elizabeth woke up in Jason's arms. She didn't move right away because this felt too wonderful. Her sleep schedule was going to be wrecked, but the night had been worth it. She wasn't sure that she had ever seen Francis so happy. Kelly had said her cheeks hurt from smiling so much, but that she couldn't seem to stop. Liz knew that one day it would be her wedding to Jason that everyone gathered to celebrate.<p>

"What has your busy brain working?" Jason wanted to know. It wasn't troubling thoughts because she was still relaxed against him. He also knew that she hadn't opened her eyes yet, because she hadn't asked where they were.

"Just thinking about how much fun I had last night. I had an amazing dance partner who glided me around the floor like I was on a cloud." Elizabeth said snuggling close.

"Yeah? Who, I need to tell him to stay away from my girl." Jason said being silly.

Elizabeth finally opened her eyes and looked up at her smiling boyfriend. "Morning, or is it afternoon yet?" She peeked over his shoulder but didn't see the alarm clock. Or the nightstand. Or anything else familiar. "Jason where are we?"

"On the Quartermaine jet." Jason answered. Francis and Kelly were using the Corinthos Morgan plane.

"Why?" Elizabeth asked sitting up. Looking down she saw she was in one of his t-shirts. Since she had basically passed out he would have had to dress her for bed. Elizabeth winced a bit when she realized she was probably still wearing all her makeup.

"I'm taking you away for a little while." Jason sat up too. "I checked with Patrick and he said travel was fine. So I planned a trip."

"To where?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

"I'm not telling you." Jason said with a mischievous smile. "We are not going to the island though." He figured that would be her first guess.

"How long until we land?" Elizabeth would try to figure it out that way.

"A few hours still." Jason responded cryptically.

"How long have we been in the air?" Was her next question.

"A few hours." Jason said trying not to laugh. She wasn't getting any hints. His girl was a world class puzzle solver, and he didn't want her figuring it out.

"You are sexy when you are being mysterious." Elizabeth said in a husky whisper. "I need to wash my face, don't move. Since we have time to kill there is no need to get out of bed."

"I'll wait right here." Jason promised. When Elizabeth came back out of the bathroom he held up the covers. They made love, slow and sweet, before he urged her to get a bit more sleep. The time difference between Port Charles and their destination was large, and he didn't want her feeling poorly after they arrived.

* * *

><p>He had packed for them both for this trip. Blue jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers because he wanted this vacation to be relaxed. The plane landed and Jason thanked the crew before they walked down the stairs. A car was waiting for them at the private tarmac, along with their security crew for the duration of their stay. "Welcome to Comiso."<p>

Looking around she wasn't getting any clues as to where that was. While Elizabeth was really good at geography the name wasn't helping either because she's never heard of Comiso. If she had to guess she'd say they were in Italy, but what region escaped her. "Italy correct?" She went with her gut.

Jason just smiled as he held open the door to their car. He was behind the wheel before he answered. "Sicily."

"We are going to the villa?" Elizabeth asked excited.

"We are going to our hotel first." Jason explained starting the car. "Tomorrow we will travel out to the property. I need to tell you something." He said giving her a wry grin.

"Okay." Elizabeth wondered what that face was for.

"The reason I wanted us to come out now is because the houses on the property are completely in ruins." Jason confessed. "We are going to have to rebuild. If we start now by the time school gets out for the summer we should be able to stay on the grounds, but construction will probably still be going on."

"So we are meeting with the architect?" Elizabeth guessed.

"Yeah, you can have pretty much whatever you like." Jason explained. "So don't hold back with your opinions. We will also be meeting with the interior designer tomorrow. Just to get everything squared away. After that I thought you'd like to spend the rest of the time exploring the area."

"How much is the rest of the time?" Elizabeth asked her boyfriend. She was returning to school in the middle of February, on a Monday. Patrick had wanted to ease her back and suggested a midweek or even a Friday return, but Elizabeth wanted to get back to her normal routine. She had received countless cards and messages from her students wishing her well and was looking forward to returning to her kids.

"We are staying until the end of the month." Jason said grinning. "That way when we return home you have time to rest before going back to work." He was only a little bit nervous about her returning, but he trusted that she knew what was best for her.

"Thank you." Elizabeth said softly. She was going to enjoy this time they had together. "I can't wait to go exploring with you."

"I can't wait to show you Sicily." Jason said as they pulled up to the hotel. He had traveled extensively through Italy, on business and for personal enjoyment. The island of Sicily was one of his favorite places. Also by staying here he wouldn't need to bring guards because they would be under the protection of Maximus during their trips to the island. If they chose to travel to the rest of Italy, or Europe, the don would loan Jason protection if he didn't bring the guys. "Let's check in, and then we can walk around the town."

"Sounds good." Elizabeth said unbuckling her seat belt and waiting for him to open her door.

* * *

><p>"So what do you think?" Jason asked as they stood in front of the car looking at the rundown buildings. Three large stone buildings stood in various stages of ruin before them. The property had sat vacant for a long time, and it showed.<p>

"I love it." Elizabeth said with a wide smile. "I know most people would simply look at this and see ruined buildings, but I see history and potential." She explained. "Is that the architect?"

Jason looked at the car that was coming up the drive. The guards Maximus sent wouldn't have let anyone else on the property without calling first. "Yeah, he mentioned bringing a structural engineer as well." Elizabeth nodded and waited by the car while Jason went to greet their guests. "These are the Flemings. Fred and his wife Janet."

"Hello." Elizabeth said shaking their hands. She was surprised that they weren't Italian.

"Ms. Webber it's a pleasure to meet you." Fred said in a British accent. He and his wife were ex-pats who had moved to Sicily years ago. "I'll be designing your home, and my wife Janet will make sure that it won't fall down on you." He said laughing.

"Which is the most important thing." Janet said smiling. "This is lovely." She remarked looking at the area. "You rarely see homes this old with this much structure left." It was ashamed they would be taking it down.

"How old is it exactly?" Elizabeth wanted to know. She looked at Jason.

"Two hundred years." Jason said looking at the buildings. The history buff in him would love to repair what was here. But every home his girl had every said she liked back in Port Charles had been more modern in design.

"Can we keep the buildings, and do a rehab instead of tearing them down?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

"You don't have to do that." Jason told her, he figured that she was asking for him.

"We are in Italy." Elizabeth said starting to smile. "Homes here date back centuries, and I would love to honor that."

"The house you really love back home is a Craftsman." Jason pointed out.

"I also really love that Queen Anne just outside of town. Neither of which would work here." Elizabeth said looking back at the ramshackle buildings. "Our home here should reflect the culture that surrounds it. So." She looked over at Janet. "Can it be saved?"

The older woman just smiled. "It can. I was out a few weeks ago after Mr. Morgan purchased the property to see what would be the best way to demolish the existing structures. They are all sound." Which would have made taking them down harder. "The insides need to be totally gutted and redone, but the exterior walls are simply in need of some repair." Homes in the countryside of Italy were built to stand for generations. "The roofs also need to be completely replaced." She added.

"Can the inside be a bit more modern?" Elizabeth wanted to know. "By that I mean hardwood floors, central air and heating. Upgraded kitchen and bathrooms. Things like that?"

Fred took that. "Absolutely." He said nodding. "If I may make a suggestion?" When Elizabeth nodded, because it was clear she was who they had to please, he continued. "You have three separate buildings." He pointed to the structures. "That surround a main courtyard. I could knock out parts of the exterior walls of each building and add walkways so that you can access everything without leaving the interior. Making it one big home."

"I like the sound of that." Elizabeth looked at Jason.

"Whatever you want we will make it happen." Jason promised Elizabeth.

"Shall we walk through and I can tell you want I envision." Fred would take notes on what the young couple liked as they did the tour. "My wife can stop me when I get too far from reality." The artist in him sometimes got carried away and wanted things that just weren't possible.

"I can't wait to hear what you have planned." Elizabeth linked her fingers with Jason's and the two couples set off.

* * *

><p>With the weather in Sicily being pretty mild year round the work would have started right away and taken the better part of year if they were building from the ground up. Meaning that despite what Jason had said earlier they would not have been able to stay on the property during the summer. However with the existing structures being used Fred promised to have the work done by the time school let out in June, barring any major obstructions. Janet agreed that the completion date her husband had set could be achieved. The repair work to the exterior walls would need to be done first and while that was happening the interior could be gutted and the courtyard repaired.<p>

They were joined by the interior designer Marianna Erosa who was thrilled to learn that the project had changed from a fresh build to a rehab. She was from the area and was in favor of anything that preserved the region's history. "I see dark hardwood floors to be warmed by the large windows you will have, and I'd love to reclaim as much of the original stone as I can from when the crew guts the buildings. I can use those in the bathrooms for the showers."

"I like that idea. We are also putting in a pool." Elizabeth mentioned to the designer. "Could you use some of the stone in that area as well?"

"I could." Marianna said nodding. "I could build you a water fall."

"Jason?" Elizabeth wanted to make sure his voice was heard as well.

"I like that, and a hot tub?" He wanted to soak at night under the stars.

"I could maybe make the hot tub from the stone too." Marianna said taking notes. "Can you call me before you haul the rubble away? That way I can choose the pieces I need." She asked Janet. They worked together often.

"Absolutely." Janet was thinking this was going to be a showcase home by the time they were done.

"Could you use the stone to make an outdoor kitchen?" Jason knew that the Italian lifestyle incorporated a lot of outdoor living. If they were going to have a pool then they should do an entire outdoor entertainment area.

"How about a kitchen, with a stone table. I could also make a conversation area with stone furniture that you could decorate with colorful cushions." Marianna suggested. "On the days it rains, or when you aren't here you can just bring the cushions in. You will need large chairs to sit around the table I create." She said making more notes.

"I would love a fire pit." Elizabeth tacked on, since they were talking about outdoor seating.

Marianna nodded and added it to the list. "I will start shopping and send you things for approval. I will let you know later if I need to use other materials to build some of your outdoor area. I'm not sure just how much stone we will be able to reclaim." Working with a client who was so far away wouldn't be the easiest but she would make it work. "When you come over this summer anything you absolutely hate can be addressed then." But Marianna was going to do her best to make sure nothing like that made it into the final design.

"Perfect." Elizabeth said smiling wide. She was excited for the process to get started. They walked everyone back to their cars and when they were alone again she turned to Jason. "Thank you, for giving me this."

"You are welcome." Jason said leaning forward and kissing her. "Thank you for knowing that I would want to keep as much of the original house as possible." He was thinking that they would be spending entire summers here hopefully starting this year. They would bring their children in the future, and when he retired they could move here full time. The woman in his arms inspired so many dreams in him. He was anxious to make them come true. Next month they would celebrate their first anniversary and in his heart he knew that it was just the first of many more to come. "We should head into Cosimo and have lunch before siesta." They had spent the entire morning at the house.

"I'd like to host our friends next summer." Elizabeth said as Jason drove them back to town. As they had walked through the buildings her imagination had run wild. Her and Jason taking long walks under the stars through their newly landscaped property. She could see herself in the kitchen cooking while their kids played in the courtyard. Or envision her and Jason sitting out and talking while their kids swam in the pool. She wanted to make love to him in their master suite while the moonlight flooded the room. They were going to make so many memories here and she couldn't wait. "Em is going to swallow her tongue when I tell her what we are doing."

"Since we are creating a home here in Italy, would you like to look for a house when we return to Port Charles?" Jason wanted to know.

"I love the penthouse. It is perfect for where we are right now." Elizabeth didn't need anything else.

'I'd like to move when we have children." Jason let her know. "I want our children to have a yard."

"I like the sound of that." Elizabeth told him. When she had been hit by Lucky she had lain on the cold ground and prayed for more time. When she lost the struggle to stay conscious she thought she wasn't going to get her wish. Swallowing hard she turned to look out the window so she could blink back the tears that wanted to fall. Thinking on that time was hard, but it made days like today that much more special. More meaningful.

Jason parked and when he opened Elizabeth's door saw her shining eyes. Without her having to say a word he knew why she was trying not to cry. This happened often, and not just to her. He still had nights where he woke up and listening to her deep even breathing was the only thing that could calm his racing heart. For the first time in years he had a nightmare after her accident. Ones where he saw her funeral. He just urged her into his arms and held on tight until she was ready for him to let go. "I love you Elizabeth." He said quietly.

"I love you too Jason." Elizabeth said holding on tight. It was a new year filled with promise and dreams waiting to come true. For both of them. The dark days that colored the end of the last year were over, they had survived and were stronger than ever. "I was thinking seafood for lunch." She said letting that go and coming back to the moment.

"That sounds good. After we can visit the beach." Jason said putting his arm around her waist as they walked down the main square to find a restaurant. "You can put on the new bikini I got for you."

"And later you can take it off." She said on a sultry whisper.

"It's a date." Jason said smiling. They were in Italy and life was good.

* * *

><p>Thanks for the reviews!<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Happy Valentine's Day!

* * *

><p>My Valentine<p>

"You look you are a million miles away." Johnny said getting Jason's attention. "You worried about Liz?" That was the only thing the enforcer could think would pull Jason's mind off of work.

"No. She said she was ready to go back to work, and I trust that." Jason told his friend focusing on going through the shipment again.

Johnny just waited.

"Okay, that's not totally true. I do trust that she knows what is best for herself, but I'm still worried she is rushing back to work. I can't keep her locked in the penthouse because some asshole high on drugs ran her down." Jason said nodding so that the crew could come and take the box he just finished inspecting. Even though one part of his mind was on his girlfriend, he was still diligent about work. "She needs to do this."

Johnny nodded that his box could go. "You're right, she does need to do this. She's almost back to the Liz she was before getting hit. We've all watched her get stronger, teaching is her passion and getting to go back to school will complete something in her." He was happy for his young friend. "But she's at the root of your fog."

"Yeah, Valentine's Day is coming up." Jason said signing the final batch of paperwork. Done, he and Johnny headed to the second floor where the offices were located.

"You did really good last year. Hell you put us all to shame last year." Johnny said laughing as he poured himself some coffee.

"That's kind of the problem. I'm not sure I can top last year." Jason said leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head. "I want whatever I do to be memorable." Last year it was Sonny he had talked with. His friend said to follow his instincts, that advice still held true, so Jason wasn't looking for help. He just needed someone to think out loud with. "What are you doing for Nadine?"

"You ever notice that it's always the guy doing something for the girl on Valentine's Day. Why is that?" Johnny asked before answering Jason's question.

"My girl has spoiled me rotten all year." Jason grinned thinking that the day also marked one year of dating for them. So yeah the pressure was really on. "She is always doing little things to make my life better. Once Patrick cleared her to move around the first thing she did was go on line and buy me a new pair of work gloves because she noticed mine had a hole in them. She is always thinking of me, giving her this day is not a hardship."

Johnny just grinned. His friend was gone. "I'm taking Nadine to visit her sister in San Paolo where she is working. They haven't seen each other in person for almost two years. I'm going to cook dinner and then give her the plane tickets. Sonny said that whenever she wanted to go I could have the time off."

"That's a great gift." Jason said thinking that Nadine was going to love it.

"Francis is also cooking dinner. He is making some of the recipes that Kelly's mom gave him when they were here last month." Jason shared.

"You know what his gift is?" Johnny did, he wasn't sure if Jason had heard.

"A house." Jason had helped Francis with the security features.

"You just gave Liz a house, does that count?" Johnny said trying to help out.

"No, that was a Christmas gift." Jason said shaking his head. "Sonny got Carly a boat."

"I saw it. It's gorgeous. I imagine we will all be spending time on the water this summer." Johnny added, because when Jason said boat what he meant was yacht. "Cody is also taking Lainey on a trip, to Cleveland." Which didn't sound at all romantic.

Jason laughed at his friend's confusion. "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is there. They are then going to Cedar Point. Lainey has always wanted to go to both those places."

"Okay, makes sense now." Johnny was quiet for a bit. "What are your folks doing?"

"Vegas." Jason had been shocked by that. "Something about getting married by Elvis." He shrugged. "Monica said that they've done the serious and romantic Valentine's thing. This year she wanted to do something fun. Edward is having a section at the arboretum renamed for my grandmother."

"He has serious game. Serious." Johnny said with a lot of respect. Cody had told him that Edward was why Jason bought the cabin. "What about Dante?"

"Trip when Em gets vacation. Disneyworld." Jason said as a knock sounded on the door. Doug stuck his head in and said the shipment had been loaded on the truck and was leaving right now. "Thank you." Jason told the senior guard. With that handled he and Johnny could head home. It was almost two in the morning. Jason would grab a nap and be up in time to see his girl off to work.

"You could throw in with the majority and plan a trip." Johnny said as they headed to the truck. They had come over together.

"We just went to Sicily, and are going back in June." Jason said getting behind the wheel. "I'll figure something out."

"Whatever you plan, she will love it. Liz loves you with everything in her, so you can't lose." Johnny promised his boss.

"I love her too." Jason said waiting for the light to change. He would just need to let that guide him.

* * *

><p>Elizabeth checked her appearance in the mirror one final time. It wasn't the clothes that had her worried. The school was pretty lenient with the teachers. Jeans were fine, so were sneakers. It was her hair that she was second guessing. She had started using a special shampoo to help it grow just before Kelly's wedding, and had gotten great results. Liz was now sporting almost four inches of hair, enough for a short and stylish pixie cut. It was long enough that the hair was curling, which meant she had a few options on how to wear it. Diane had been a big help in learning how to style short hair. Today it was straight and bit spiky. Now she was trying to decide if she was going to go natural or with one of her wigs that she still occasionally wore.<p>

"Babe?" Jason called out walking into the bedroom. He saw her and had to smile. "You look nice."

"'Thanks. I wish I could wear heels. All my students will tower over me." Elizabeth said grinning. She generally wore one and half inch chunky heels, but Patrick still wanted Liz in flats because of lingering balance issues. She was starting to worry the unsteadiness wasn't going to go away. She had cheated at Kelly's wedding but had to remove the heels at the reception.

"You don't need them, they will all be on their best behavior." Jason assured her. He had been amazed at the number of get well cards that arrived from the hospital. His girl had to read them a few at a time because she kept crying, which triggered headaches.

"Milo said that everyone seems excited that I was coming back to school." Elizabeth said grinning. She looked at herself again, adjusted her glasses and nodded. No wig was needed. "I'm ready."

"You sure are." Jason said holding out his hand. "I packed your lunch."

"Thank you." Elizabeth said taking the thermal bag with sunflowers all over it. "I can't wait to see what's inside."

"It's all stuff you like. I also packed a snack for you to eat during your free period if you need it." Jason said trying not to fuss. She didn't need the added stress of worrying that he was worrying.

There was a knock on the door and the guard let in Milo. "You ready to head out?" He was trying not to worry either.

"I certainly am. Let me grab my coat and my briefcase." Elizabeth said walking out of the kitchen.

"I'll keep my ear to the ground. If she's having trouble I'll know it." Milo told his boss. Either someone on the staff would say something, or one of the students would. Gossip was the official means of communication of the school. "We are also eating lunch together."

Jason nodded. "She's ready."

"Okay." Elizabeth said coming back and getting a kiss from Jason. "I'm all set." She was so excited.

"I'll call the elevator." Milo said walking out.

"I love you." Jason said buttoning up her coat. "Where is your hat?"

"I'll mess up my hair." Elizabeth told him as they walked to the door.

"Straight from the car into the building. It's too cold to be standing around outside." Jason said leaning down and kissing her again.

"Milo is going to drop me off at the door." Elizabeth told him. "I love you. See you this afternoon." She figured he would be home when she got back.

"Okay." Jason watched her get on the elevator and closed the door. "Relax, she's going to be fine." He told himself reaching for his jacket. Sitting at home would make him go crazy, so he was going to go to work and worry there.

* * *

><p>The first period bell rang and Elizabeth's classroom door opened. Since she didn't have a homeroom at the moment she had the first twenty minutes of the day to take some deep breaths and get ready. Her mailbox had been stuffed full of welcome back notes from the rest of the staff, and Mrs. Chilson, the school secretary, had even given her a hug. So her day was off to a great start.<p>

The students filed in and took their seats. Unlike a lot of teachers Elizabeth didn't assign seats. As long as no one was overly chatting with those around them then the kids could sit wherever they liked. Once everyone was seated she just looked them over. There was no need to be nervous these were her kids. In the front row a hand went up.

"Yes Abby." Elizabeth called on the sophomore.

Abby had been picked by her classmates to do this. There was probably going to be a version of this in each class, but she was first. She stood up and smiled. "On behalf of everyone in class, I just wanted to say welcome back. We really missed you Ms. Webber."

Elizabeth had to blink back tears. "I missed you guys too." She said losing the battle and reaching for a tissue. "Your substitute Mrs. Daniels said that you guys did awesome in my absence." Liz had lunch with the older woman on Saturday to get a feel for what she was walking into.

"We didn't want you worrying about us while you were out." Abby said before sitting back down. All of Elizabeth's students had signed a pact stating they were going to do their absolute best in her absence and that they were going to make her proud.

"Thank you." Elizabeth said clearing her throat. "I talked to Principal Saunders and he said that it was okay for me to tell you a little bit about what I went through, because I know there are questions." Better to get this out now before all kinds of wild stories sprang up. The accident was reported in the paper, but a good many details had been left out so that they could be used in a possible trial. Elizabeth would not divulge privileged information but she would share what she could.

"About a week after Halloween I was hit by a driver who didn't stop. A good friend of mine was with me and he died as a result of the accident. I know some papers said that the guy I was with was someone I was cheating on my boyfriend with, but that isn't true." Edward had been incensed at the lies that were printed, and shortly after that story ran there was one less newspaper in Port Charles because Quartermaine Media had executed a swift takeover of the tabloid.

"We didn't believe that." Another girl from the back of the class spoke up. "Your boyfriend is way too hot to cheat on." That was met with a lot of the other girls nodding their heads. The boys for the most part rolled their eyes, but some were nodding too.

"Thank you." Elizabeth said laughing. "When I first woke up in the hospital I couldn't see anything. The part of my brain that controls vision was damaged, I had to have a second surgery which restored my sight. However it's not as good as it was so for now I have to wear glasses. I also had really bad headaches which was one of the reasons I had to stay out as long as I did. Reading was a problem. Yes Joshua." She called on another student.

"Is that why you have short hair?" He wanted to know.

"They shaved my head for the surgeries." Elizabeth explained. "I wore wigs, scarves, and hats for a while, but just lately I've been going out without them."

"Short hair is all the rage right now." Abby told her teacher. "Everyone in Hollywood is cutting their long hair."

"I'm on trend." Elizabeth hadn't known that. "First time in my life."

"So you're all the way better now." Another sophomore name Rhonda asked, Ms. Webber was one of her favorite teacher so she was glad she was back.

"I still have some balance issues, so I'll be in flats for a while. Other than that Dr. Drake said I'm all good." Elizabeth reassured them. "So we will get to finish the school year together."

"Dr. Drake is hot." Said the same girl who commented on Jason. "He was here for career day, so was a Dr. Webber. Also hot!" She proclaimed.

"That's my brother Steven." Elizabeth said laughing. She couldn't wait to let him know. Olivia would never let him live that down. "So that's everything. Any questions?" No one raised their hands. "Alright then. I have returned just in time for us to start The Taming of the Shrew. So if I can get a couple of volunteers to come up and hand out the books, we'll get started." It was good to be back.

* * *

><p>For lunch Jason left the coffee shop and headed over to Kelly's. He had spent the morning going over the books. It was actually Sonny's turn, but Jason needed something that would totally absorb his attention. Otherwise he was going to start calling Milo looking for an update. He wondered if this was how people felt when their kids went off to school for the first time.<p>

Now he needed some air. After lunch Jason decided to take a walk down Main Street. The stores were all decked out for the upcoming holiday and maybe the displays would spark some sort of an idea. He did have a week to get this together. But not having any clue what he was going to do was distracting. He stopped in the chocolate shop and ordered a box of Elizabeth's favorite truffles. That was done, so at least he could cross something off his list. He kept walking and passed a flower shop. He needed to call his grandmother and see if she would give him some blooms. Her flowers beat anything he would find in a shop. A lingerie shop was up ahead and Jason snorted. That wasn't a gift for her that was gift for him. So he passed that by.

At the end of the block he waited at the light and when it turned green he crossed the street. "I really should have restrained myself at Christmas." He said out loud. He had just been happy she was healthy and wanted to spoil her. He rubbed the back of his neck as the sunlight reflected off another display window. He turned and the items behind the glass caught his attention, one in particular stood out. Just like that Jason began putting together a plan for a great Valentine's Day evening. Something that his girl would never see coming. Something that was perfect, and right. With a smile he walked into the store to make his purchase.

* * *

><p>Jason put his purchase in his home office safe and was coming back out when the front door opened. The smile on his girlfriend's face made one come to his. "You had a good day." It wasn't a question.<p>

"I had an incredible day." Elizabeth said putting her bag down and peeling off her coat. Jason was right there to hang it up and she moved into his arms.

He didn't say anything, just held her and waited. It didn't take long until she started crying. These were happy tears, she had worked hard to get back to her normal. To get back to her classroom and students. He just let the emotions come out before leaning back and gently wiping away the tears that remained on her cheeks. "Better?" He was guessing she had been holding that in all day.

"Yes, thank you." She said taking the offered handkerchief. "There were so many nights that I worried I wouldn't be able to go back to work. Especially in the beginning when I couldn't even read the menu in a restaurant without getting a migraine. I read Shakespeare today. In all my classes with no problem." She said as new tears fell.

"I'm so proud of you." Jason let her know. "You never gave up. Even when your spirits were low you fought hard."

"Thank you for being there with me." She said giving him a watery smile.

"Nowhere else I would be." He let her know. "I have a surprise for you." He said leading her into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and removed the small box from her favorite pastry shop.

"What's inside?" Elizabeth asked smiling.

"Not telling." Jason opened a drawer and removed a spoon. "Close your eyes, and open your mouth." He said flipping open the lid to the box. When she complied he spooned up some of the treat and fed it too her.

"Mmm." Elizabeth said grinning as the flavors exploded on her tongue. "That is so good." Her eyes fluttered open and looked into his.

"I figured you would like to celebrate some." He said smiling. "A dark chocolate raspberry filled cupcake seem the right way to go."

"You spoil me." Elizabeth said opening as he spooned up more. "Are you going to have some?"

"Nope. This is all for you." Jason told her. The dessert wasn't very big so it wasn't like she would even spoil her dinner. "You've earned it. Do you have homework to grade?"

"No. We arranged it so that the week I returned was the week we introduced the new part of the lesson plan. I'll have homework to grade starting next week." The school had been extremely accommodating of her needs. "So I will have the whole weekend off." Probably the last one until the end of the school year.

"Then we will have to make the most of that." He fed her the last of the treat.

"We will. Our anniversary is this weekend." Elizabeth wasn't saying that to remind him, Jason wouldn't forget something that important.

"I know. I'm already making plans." He said with a wicked grin.

"Me too." Elizabeth wanted to do something special so he would know how much having him by her side this past year had meant. She just wasn't sure what to do yet. Money wasn't the issue, she had plenty in the bank. So when something popped into her brain she should be able to make it happen.

"Is that right?" Jason wasn't expecting anything special. "Can I get a hint?"

"Nope." Elizabeth said cleaning up. "You will just have to wait."

"What if I tell you what I'm doing?" Which wasn't going to happen, but he was enjoying the game they were playing.

"Nope." Elizabeth repeated. "I'm going to go get changed. After I'm going to relax some before its time to start dinner." It was her night to cook. "Want to watch some television with me?"

"I would love to." Jason said following her into the living room.

"Okay, I'll be right back." She said kissing him and going upstairs to throw on some blue jeans.

* * *

><p>It was Wednesday before she stumbled across her gift for Jason. And it came curtesy of an overheard conversation in the teacher's lounge. Two other staff members were talking about a major change that was due to happen in Port Charles. Elizabeth had been grabbing a cup of tea during her free period when the talk snagged her attention.<p>

She was back in her classroom when she dug her cell phone out of her bag. If she had any students with her this would have had to wait until her lunch break, the no cell phone usage rule during class time applied to staff too. But this week the principal had asked her to rest during her free period which left her free to conduct personal business.

"Diane Miller." The attorney said answering on the first ring.

"Hi, Diane. How are you?" Elizabeth asked hoping this worked out.

"Amazing." Diane said leaning back in her chair. "It's why my rates are so high." She said laughing at her own joke. "How are you doing this week?"

"Great, it's good to be back at work." Elizabeth told the older woman. She liked Diane very much.

"I'm thrilled you are back." Diane had been awed by Liz's determination to return to her regular activities. The small woman was stronger than she looked. "Since it is during school hours, I am guessing you called for a reason."

"I did. I would like to make a purchase. In the next two days if at all possible." Elizabeth knew her time frame was tight, but she needed to do this by Saturday night.

"What where you looking to buy?" Diane asked putting her lawyer hat on.

Elizabeth told her. "In Jason's name. I'm paying though." This was the perfect gift for him. "I have never done anything like this before so I have no idea how to proceed. So I was hoping that maybe you could help me."

"Of course I can." Diane said turning to her keyboard. "The good thing is that there are currently no other offers. Which isn't surprising as it isn't listed as being for sale. Are you sure your information is correct? If it is are you sure he wants it? I would think that Jason would have made an overture if he was interested." Since she often handled property issues for her bosses the lawyer actually had a realtor's license which meant she could pull up information on any property.

"We were out of town for a while. I'm not sure that he knows what is going on. I want to get this wrapped up before he finds out." Elizabeth explained. "I only learned about this today. One of my co-workers said she heard last night. That everything is being done quietly." The current owner didn't want a fuss made.

"Well that puts you in a good bargaining position. No opposing bids. I will call Jason's guy and get him out there to look around." Diane told Liz. The fact that it wasn't being sold could mean it wasn't in shape to pass inspection which would be a bad thing. It could also mean that the current owner didn't want to deal with the hassle of putting it on the market. Maybe they had enough money that more wasn't necessary. Whatever the situation was Diane would get to the root of it. "I will call and talk with the owner and find out what is going on when I hang up with you. Hopefully some information for you no later than tonight. Should I email you?"

"Absolutely." Elizabeth gave her the address. "I look forward to hearing from you." With that they ended the call. "Please." She said a soft prayer. "Let this work out." If it did Jason was going to be floored.

* * *

><p>Twenty-four hours later Elizabeth was calling Diane back per a request in the email. "Hi Diane."<p>

"Liz, thank you for calling." The lawyer thought she was about to make her client very happy. "I have great news. The current owner is willing to sell. And at a very reasonable price." It turned out that the owner didn't need any more money to retire in comfort so the hassle of putting the building on the market could be avoided for the time being. Eventually the structure would need to be sold, but it wasn't urgent. Since an offer was coming it listening wouldn't hurt.

"Yes!" Elizabeth said grinning wide. "Do I need to wait for an inspection?"

"It's happened this morning." Diane told her, Jason's guy didn't dawdle. He was also keeping this silent having been told it was a surprise. "The building is in great shape. Some minor repairs need to be done, but all the major systems work. The roof is only three years old, and the foundation is solid. I can make this deal happen for you today."

"How much?" Elizabeth needed to know. She had no idea what property values in that area were.

Diane named a price. "And cash is fine."

"That's it?" Elizabeth asked floored. That was well below market rate.

"The important thing for the owner is that it's going to someone who will love it." Diane wasn't going to argue. "The owner is still going to walk away with a good amount of money." So no one was being cheated. "Shall I make the deal?"

"Yes." Elizabeth said getting excited about her gift. "How do we do this so that Jason doesn't know?"

"Milo can bring you to the office. I know for a fact he can keep a secret." Diane told her friend. "Today after school?"

"Okay." Elizabeth couldn't believe this was coming together so quickly.

"I will have everything waiting. I'll walk you through the process, we will get everything signed, and you'll be on your way. Shouldn't take more than thirty minutes." Diane let her client know.

"I'll still beat Jason home." Elizabeth just needed to not burst from excitement. "Thank you so much."

"It is my pleasure. I'm glad Jason has someone who is making his happiness a priority." Diane liked her younger boss very much, it was wonderful to see him fully living life. "See you this afternoon."

"Yes, you will." Elizabeth said ending the call. Saturday was going to be a great day.

* * *

><p>"What?" Jason asked his friend who was looking at him funny.<p>

"Are you feeling alright?" Johnny wanted to know.

"Why?" Jason said looking around as they got off the elevator.

"Because we are shopping. At your suggestion. You hate shopping." Johnny said wondering if they got off on the wrong floor.

"I need a dress." Jason said wondering where he should start.

"You're going to shave your legs right?" Johnny asked being a smartass. "Because hairy legs is not a look anyone is going to enjoy."

"Not for me." Jason said giving him a glare. "For Elizabeth."

"And you brought me why?" Johnny wanted to know.

"I didn't want to come off as some sort of perv wandering around the ladies dress section by myself." Jason grinned. "We can come off as perverts together."

"You know they have sales people to help you shop. You will be required to make conversation with a stranger, but since the associate will be getting a sizeable commission they will put up with your grunting." Johnny said to be difficult. At least Jason knew enough to come to the couture section.

"Can I help you?" A perky associate asked them.

"He needs a dress for his girlfriend." Johnny said pointing to Jason. He would help out. Jason really didn't do well with strangers. That was why he generally only shopped at places the crew was well known.

"Did you have something in mind Mr. Morgan?" She knew who was standing in front of her. "A color, style, fabric?" The more information she had the easier this would be.

"No." Jason said finally speaking. "I want something nice."

Johnny snorted before clearing his throat. "His girlfriend is petite, and this is not a formal event so no gowns. She has alabaster skin so no pastels." He said filling in the blanks. "His favorite color." He said pointing to Jason. "Is black." Johnny knew Jason had enjoyed Liz in the gown from Kelly's wedding.

"Why don't we start over here?" The sales associate took them further into the department. "What about this?" She held up a black body conscious dress trying to narrow down just what he wanted.

"No." Jason thought that was boring. It was plain black. "I want something pretty."

Johnny bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. "I think maybe something a bit more unique."

"Unique." She repeated. "We have some originals this way."

"You really suck at this." Johnny whispered grinning.

"Why do you think you are here?" Jason said grinning right back. "I will know the dress when I see it. I just don't know the right terms to use to get to the dress."

Johnny thought that was understatement. Fashion wasn't Jason's forte.

"How about this?" The young lady held up a red and black print dress.

"No red." Jason told her.

"No red." She repeated looking around.

"How about this?" Johnny suggested pointing to a dress. If he didn't help they would be here a long time, and Jason would end up frustrated.

"That looks like what Elizabeth wore to the wedding." Jason looked at his friend.

"This is nothing like what Liz wore to the wedding. The only similarities between the two dresses is the color and that they are both original designs." Johnny told his friend.

"Mr. O'Brien is correct. The material is totally different, as is the cut and detailing. I saw Ms. Webber's picture in the paper she looked lovely. This is a dress she could very easily carry off." The associate said about the garment Johnny was holding. "This is also a dress she could wear again." The wedding dress was an event outfit. Not something you could wear out to dinner on a Wednesday night.

"I think you should get this one." Johnny could tell Jason liked it.

"If Ms. Webber doesn't like it she can return it." The associate let him know.

"I'll take it." Jason said smiling. "I need to get her some shoes too."

"No you don't. She has a pair of lace ballet flats she can wear." Johnny spoke up as they headed to the cash register.

"Why do you know that?" Jason asked Johnny.

"Nadine mentioned wanting a pair." He said grinning. "Do not tell Liz I helped you with this. I'm totally fine with your taking all the credit."

"Then I'm done." Jason was happy to not have to go to the shoe store. "I need to drop this off at home and then we can go back to work."

"You still aren't going to tell me what you have planned?" Johnny was curious, Jason was really pumped.

"Nope." Jason said getting behind the wheel. He still had some work to do, but everything was coming together nicely.

* * *

><p>They spent a really low key day together on Saturday. Since they were going out to dinner they didn't exchange anniversary presents, choosing to wait until that night. At five Jason gave her a kiss and told her that a limo would be waiting downstairs for her at six, and that he would meet her at the restaurant. He also asked her to wear the outfit in the red garment bag in his closet. Intrigued, but looking forward to the night ahead, where she would give him her gift, she agreed.<p>

"Hmm." Elizabeth said standing in front of the bag containing her dress. "I wonder what he picked out." She was smiling wide by the time the zipper was at the bottom. "Wow."

Black lace greeted her. An off the shoulder dress with a fitted waist and an asymmetrical hemline was inside. The gently pleated skirt would fall gently around her hips and the taupe voile underlay would lend a bit of sheen to the look. It had tiny buttons up the front that would be invisible when fastened. She absolutely loved it and couldn't wait to put it on. She decided to wear her diamond studs, her heart pendant, and her lace flats to finish the look. Taking the dress down she hurried to get ready.

Jason was smiling when she walked into the Grille. "You look stunning."

"Thank you." She laughed and turned so the skirt belled. "You did outstanding."

"Johnny help me." Jason admitted.

"But I'm guessing a new dress was your idea." Elizabeth said smiling. She figured someone had helped him shop. That didn't lessen how special the dress made her feel.

"We are ready." Jason said to the hostess thinking that truer words had never been spoken. In the private dining room he pulled out Elizabeth's chair before taking his own.

"I am surprised you could get this room on Valentine's Day." Elizabeth said looking at the space that was filled with flowers.

"It helps that my family owns the restaurant." Jason grinned, he had no problem admitting he had pulled strings. "We are having the tasting menu the chef created for the holiday. Then we can exchange gifts."

"Sounds perfect." Elizabeth would just have to be patient a bit longer.

* * *

><p>It took just under three hours to finish the meal. The fact that they stopped often to talk and kiss one another added to the length. "Okay, time for gifts." Elizabeth said simply unable to wait any longer. "Me first."<p>

"Alright." Jason said wondering what she had gotten him.

"Here. Happy anniversary, and happy Valentine's Day." She said handing him the envelope. She was so excited, because on Thursday she got confirmation that her gift was going to go over well. Jason had inquired about buying this business, only to be told it was already sold. He'd been a bit sad but hoped that the new owner didn't change much.

Jason smiled while he opened the envelope. Seeing what was inside he raised shocked eyes to her. "You bought Jake's?"

"For you. I know that you have a history with the bar." He had lived there before moving into the Towers. "I also know the original owner was a good friend of yours." The bar had first changed hands while he was in South America which meant he had missed the chance to buy it then. "I wanted you to have it." She kept going.

"I love you so much." Jason said leaning forward and kissing her. "Thank you. You bought me a dive bar." Jake's proudly billed itself as such. It was where the dock workers, and mob guys went to cut loose. "I'm stunned."

"I know." Elizabeth said clapping. "It was so hard to not say anything on Thursday."

"Jake's is mine." Jason said shaking his head in disbelief. He was going to resist the urge to ask her how much she had spent. The money didn't matter, because they were going to be combining finances soon. So she wouldn't miss it. "My turn." Her gift let him know that his was right. "I have two gifts for you."

"Two." Elizabeth hadn't expected that.

He reached under the table and put chocolates, in the expected heart shaped box, on the surface. "Open it."

She did wondering what type of chocolate was inside. The first thing she saw was an envelope. Inside was a card which she removed. "Dear Mr. Morgan we are happy to let you know that we have located a complete set of autographed first edition copies of Winnie the Pooh books. We will be able to ship them out to you on the ninth of February. Please expect delivery on the twelfth. Oh my god." She loved Winnie the Pooh. "Seriously?"

"Yeah." He said laughing.

"Jason, thank you. My dad read me those stories every night before I went to bed." Just her. Steven had wanted to hear Paddington, and Sarah was all about Madeline. "I'm speechless." She leaned forward and kissed him. "I love you so much."

"I'm glad you liked my gift." He had put a lot of thought into the entire evening. "And there is chocolate."

"That's just the topper." She said looking into the box. She removed the cover so she could try to guess the assortment. "Did you know that the swirls on top are a code to the filling?"

"I did not." He said watching her intently.

"Every company has their own symbols, but once you know them you can get your favorite every time." She said looking down. Her eyes swept the box and then she froze.

He just smiled when her eyes landed on what he had put in the center of the box.

She bit her lower lip as tears flooded her eyes.

He reached over and picked up the velvet box that was sitting surrounded by chocolate. With his eyes on hers he went down on one knee. "I love you Elizabeth, will you marry me?" Once he saw the oval ruby with two half-moon diamonds surrounding it in the window he knew it was her ring. The ring that would start the next phase of their life. He had been thinking about proposing since she woke up in the hospital. He had come too close to losing her, but he didn't want a proposal to be in reaction to her accident. So he told himself to wait. The ring let him know it was time.

"Yes." She said smiling and holding out her hand. "Yes, I'll marry you." Another great memory for this day. "I love you, so much." She said watching the ring gleam in the light.

After putting the ring on her finger he kissed her once again. "You are going to be Elizabeth Morgan, and I'm going to love you for the rest of our lives."

"It's a dream come true." She said gently cupping his cheek. That grand romance she had hoped for last year was never going to end. She was going to get a happy ever after of her own. She couldn't wish for anything more.

* * *

><p>Thanks for the reviews!<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringment is intended.

Not Safe For Work

* * *

><p>Getting By With A Little Help From My Friends<p>

"Hello?" Liz asked a bit fuzzy, looking at the clock she saw it was just after midnight.

"I will be at the penthouse in ten minutes, be ready to go." Milo told her.

Any vestiges of sleep disappeared. "Okay." Elizabeth said just before the dial tone sounded in her ear. She threw back the covers and walked quickly into the closet. When she walked back out not even two minutes later she was dressed in jeans, a sweatshirt, socks, and sneakers. She was also caring a packed bag. One that stayed packed and in the bottom of her closet. She called it her go bag to make a joke about why it was there, because its existence was a pretty serious matter.

From her bedroom she went downstairs and into her office where she quickly packed her laptop and power cord. Opening the fireproof safe she grabbed her flash drives and two bundles of cash, shoving them into the computer bag as well. Jason had insisted that if she ever got one of these calls she had to take the money with her. Then it was back out into the living room where she slipped on her coat. She was closing the last button when the guard knocked. "Come in." Her voice was level which was amazing because at the moment she was terrified.

"Ready?" Milo wanted to know. He had one mission right now and he wasn't going to fail.

"I am." Elizabeth grabbed her computer while Milo grabbed her clothes. They got into the elevator but didn't speak, despite the rising tension.

His car was sitting in front of the elevator, with the engine still running. He got her situated before getting behind the wheel and driving off. They went from the Towers, to the airport. Again with no conversation, or even the radio playing. He parked by the waiting private plane and got out. "Go up." He said grabbing her bag and following.

Inside the cabin of the plane Carly was waiting with a sleeping Michael. "Hey." Liz said sitting next to her friend.

"Hey." The blonde said rubbing her son's back. She had been doing that since they arrived a few minutes ago in an effort to keep herself calm. Panic was threatening and it wouldn't help the situation any.

"Do you know what is going on?" Elizabeth asked quietly. She had been prepped for an occasion like this. Jason had prepped her. Liz knew if she ever got one of these calls to not argue, do what the guard with her requested, and try not to ask questions. Mostly because the guys wouldn't tell her anything.

"No clue." Carly admitted to her friend. "Marco called me."

"Thanks." Elizabeth said to Milo as he put down the bag and then left the plane again. "Milo."

Carly just nodded.

It had been a quiet night for Liz and Jason, sitting at home relaxing after a day of work. She was excited because she had a four day weekend, and Jason was off for three of those days as well. They had talked about maybe going down to New York for a couple of nights. Or locking themselves in the penthouse and pretending the rest of the world didn't exist. She didn't care what they did she just wanted time with her guy.

At nine the phone rang and Jason had to head out. So she went to her office to work on a personal project. With papers graded she didn't even have to feel like she was taking time from her "real" job. At ten Jason called and said it was going to be a late night and that when she got tired she should head up. He didn't sound stressed or upset, she told him she loved him, he replied that he loved her too before hanging up. By eleven Liz was snuggled up in bed. Then she got the phone call.

"Answers may not be coming." Carly warned Liz. Their guys trusted them, there were just some things that couldn't be shared. "The last time we got sent to the island." Because that was the destination for these emergency calls. "What happened was pretty obvious. I came back to news reports of a fire at the warehouse."

"A bomb?" Elizabeth guessed telling the butterflies in her stomach to relax.

"Yeah." Carly said taking a deep breath and letting it out slow. She had to stay calm. She didn't want her son to know that anything was wrong. He was too young to fully understand, but he knew when his mom was upset.

"Hi." Kelly said coming aboard the plane with Hank following her carrying a bag. "There is Tequila where we are going correct?" The last emergency had seen the doctor staying in Port Charles. She had been working and leaving couldn't happen. This emergency had much better timing as Kelly was off for the next couple of days. If it took longer than that then she would need to call in sick.

"A full bar." Carly promised, and yeah a drink sounded good.

"Hey." Emily was the next to join them about thirty seconds after Kelly. Only in this case it was her husband who dropped her off. They shared a tender kiss before Dante headed out. "Does anyone have any clue what the issue is?"

The other three ladies all shook their heads no.

"Ladies." Diane said coming in and taking a seat.

"The fact that you are here has me worried." Carly admitted looking at the lawyer. "You never leave." Diane needed to be on hand to get the guys out of jail. The attorney knew that going in.

"I wasn't given the choice to stay." Diane admitted trying to keep from demanding information. She could be pushy under the right circumstances. Shawn hadn't given her an opinion on this matter, he just called up and told her to be ready to go. "Who are we missing?"

"Nadine, Leyla and Lainey." Kelly answered before anyone else could. As Marco's and Cody's ladies they would be sent to the island as well. "Leyla and Nadine might not be able to make it, but Lainey has a private practice so it shouldn't be an issue." Leyla was one of the newer additions to the group, she and Marco started dating not long after the baseball game where Leo got his ass kicked.

"What about Georgie?" Elizabeth liked Milo's girlfriend.

"I forgot about her." Kelly admitted. "We so rarely see her."

"Law school is no joke." Diane chimed in. "Lots of hours trapped in the library." She laughed as she answered.

The attorney just finished talking when Georgie, carrying her school books, walked on board. "I'm terrified." The student admitted taking a seat. "Please tell me I'm not alone in that."

"No." Elizabeth took the younger woman's hand. "You aren't."

"Hi." Leyla said coming in and taking a seat. "So now what?"

"We go to the island and pretend that this is just a girls' weekend away." Carly told the other ladies. She had been through this more than anyone else on the plane. "I make a really good margarita, the refrigerator at house will be stocked, and the ocean view is stunning."

"We are all staying at Sonny's?" Elizabeth had planned on sleeping at Jason's and just hanging out with the ladies during the day.

"The crew on the island will insist on it. We are easier to guard together." Carly explained how it worked. The other ladies just nodded.

"Is there internet?" Georgie wanted to know. "My professors are going to send me the exams I may miss." She had gone with a death in the family as her excuse for being absent.

"There is." Diane assured the younger woman. "I brought work along as well."

"Me too." Elizabeth told them, although her work was more personal.

"Nadine is on the schedule for three surgeries this weekend, we won't see her." Leyla hoped her friend would be okay.

"She'll have extra guards." Kelly knew how that part of this worked. "A very visible wall of security. The hospital won't say anything. If it gets bad enough Jason's parents will get guards too." The not knowing was the hardest part.

A member of the crew came out of the cockpit and closed the door. "Buckle up please, we are departing shortly." He said before going back up front.

"Lainey didn't come." Carly said telling herself to relax as she looked at Diane and Kelly, the other vets of the spouse group. For some reason that didn't sit well.

"I'll call her when we land." Kelly said as she strapped in.

* * *

><p>"I don't think I've ever seen water that shade of blue before." Georgie said standing at the kitchen window. After landing they had come to Sonny's ginormous house and each taken a room. She didn't know how everyone else slept, but it had taken her a long time to relax enough to fall asleep. Seeing the full coffee pot when she came down had been wonderful. "Is it warm enough to swim in?"<p>

"Year round." Carly told the younger woman as she put Michael's breakfast dishes in the sink. "We'll be going down later today if you want to join us. I know you have your school books, but it would be ashamed if you didn't get out a bit." Carly had appointed herself the hostess of this trip.

"I will take the occasional break from my books to make sure the rest of the world is still here." Georgie said grinning. "Walking on the beach will be a great way to unwind. Where is everyone else?"

"Liz is in the study, setting up her computer, Diane claimed Sonny's office and is setting up her computer as well. So I figured I would put you in my office, as I don't plan on doing any work while here." Carly told Milo's girlfriend. "Deception will be fine without me, and I can answer emergency emails from my phone."

"Thanks, I'll leave it the way I found it." Georgie was neat by nature, and she didn't snoop.

"Spread out, it's no biggie." Carly said as Liz walked in.

"Morning." Liz said to Georgie before kissing on Michael who giggled. "Kelly up yet?"

"Haven't seen her." Carly said refilling the coffeepot after Liz took the last cup. "If she's up she might be trying to reach Lainey." Kelly had called from the car on the drive to the mansion, and gotten no answer.

"I'm going to take a walk before getting set up." Georgie couldn't resist the water any longer.

Both women nodded. "Will the guys call?"

"Not until whatever this is over." Carly told her friend. "That's the one of the hardest parts the silence during the waiting. At least this time I don't have to wait alone." She said trying to be positive.

"Okay, that would suck." Liz said nodding her head. "I'm going to go do some work. I'll be back for lunch. After we should do something. Can we leave the compound?"

"As long as we take guards." Carly said shrugging. "What would you like to do?"

"Shopping." Diane said coming into the room, followed by Leyla. "Retail therapy is definitely called for."

"I'm in." Leyla wanted to see the rest of the island. Marco said it was really nice.

"In for what?" Kelly wanted to know.

"Shopping this afternoon." Diane filled the doctor in.

"I'm gonna pass." Kelly hated to shop. She tried to only do it online if possible. "I have a goal of returning to Port Charles with some color. Georgie and Em not up yet?"

"Em isn't up, Georgie is outside." Carly pointed out the sliding glass doors. "I'm in for shopping." She would call the nanny they used here on the island to stay with Michael.

"Me too." Elizabeth would like the time away from the house. It would keep her mind off of what was happening back home for a bit. "Em is probably going to want to stay here and get some sun too."

"Did you reach Lainey?" Carly wanted to know.

"Right to voicemail." Kelly said shaking her head. "Same with Nadine."

"She's in surgery." Leyla said recalling the posted schedule. "She'll call you back in eight hours."

"Matt?" Kelly was guessing.

"Yeah." Leyla said sipping her coffee. "I'm taking this out for a walk."

"I'm going to take Michael out too, we'll build some sand castles. How does that sound?" Carly asked her son who grinned. "Lunch is at noon." She told everyone before walking outside.

"See you guys then." Elizabeth said heading back to the study. She put her coffee mug down and opened what she was working on.

At some point she was going to have to tell Jason about this special project. The only reason she hadn't up until this point was because she wasn't sure she could actually do it. Writing a children's book had been a long tucked away dream of hers. After getting hit she had decided it was time to really try to see if she had enough skill to accomplish her dream.

So after grading papers, and doing her lesson plans Liz would carve out some time before she started dinner to do some writing. It was the ideal part of the day for this because she was home alone. Not that Jason would mind if she said she wanted to work in her office. It was just that she was greedy where he was concerned, she wanted as much them time as possible.

She had the idea in her head, and patiently waited for Patrick to give her the all clear to do more work on the computer. Up until that point she was writing everything out in a journal and doing light research. Things like how long a children's book should be, how to right at the appropriate grade level for her potential readers, how to get an illustrator and an agent. Although honestly Diane would probably help with that last one. If Liz got to the point of being brave enough to approach a publisher.

Because her little project had grown beyond what she expected.

Liz had three completed books, and sitting here in the study at Sonny's house she was about to start number four. All the books were part of a series, aimed at elementary school children. More specifically grades K-3. Each one, with the same set of characters, dealt with a different subject. Starting with Buddy Bear entering a new school where he didn't know anyone and learning to find the confidence to make new friends. Going with animals as her characters might seem contrived to some, but Liz didn't want to use people. So she wasn't.

She reached for her mug and her engagement ring flashed in the sunlight. Leaning back in her chair she closed her eyes as she said a silent prayer of protection. For her guy, and all their friends. When she finally returned home, they would talk about this trip. Because they did their best to talk about things that mattered. She was going to make sure he understood that this didn't change anything. That she would make as many of these trips as necessary to be with him. The talk would happen after she spent a good long time holding him close.

Putting the fear away Liz turned her attention to the glowing screen and started to write.

* * *

><p>Day two saw the morning repeating itself, with the ladies involved in individual pursuits and then coming together for lunch. After the midday meal they decided to raid the game closet. Sonny, unbeknownst to many outside their circle, was a board game fanatic. For him there wasn't any better way to pass the time, and he often roped the guys into playing as well. Carly told them that Mahjong was her husband's game of choice. Sonny had taught almost all the top guys to play, and they in turn taught their ladies because Sonny like to host Mahjong nights at the penthouse. They hadn't had one in a while, and Carly decided when they got home she was going to plan one.<p>

Kelly figured why wait, she said that they should have a tournament with the winner choosing the next day's afternoon activity. The ladies all agreed and sat down to pull lots to see in which order they would play because there was on only set in the house. Those not currently playing picked other board games to pass the time.

When the final tile was played Liz ended up the winner. Carly just snorted and said it wasn't surprising. Jason was the only person Sonny could never beat at the game. Since they'd had a great deal of fun playing, trash talking, and hanging out they decided they needed to do this more often. Thus the Mob Ladies who Mahjong Club was formed. With them deciding that once a month they would gather at someone's house for a night of Mahjong, wine, and girl talk.

It wasn't until after dinner that they got around to asking what Liz wanted to do on day three of their island sojourn. They were on the deck, drinking wine, and Michael was upstairs asleep. They had done this last night too. "I was thinking a movie." She said looking at everyone. "You guys can go see something, Carly and I will take the munchkin to a kid flick."

"The new Pixar movie?" Emily said looking at her friend. "Because if that's what you are going to see I'm in. I love their movies."

"I'm going to skip the movie for smaller people." Diane said smiling. "I'm sure there is a movie playing where some strapping muscle bound actor removes his shirt. If I can't have Shawn to look at then that will have to do."

"I'm going with Diane." Kelly said with a wicked grin. "What about you Georgie?" The doctor looked at the younger woman. "We are dragging you out to have some fun."

"Pixar." Georgie said laughing. "I'm not that bad. I have a 4.0 GPA. If I lose it, I lose my scholarship."

Carly just grinned, but didn't say anything. If Georgie lost her school funding tomorrow, it wouldn't be an issue. Milo would simply write a check. The mob guys took care of their ladies, of that there was no doubt. "Leyla?"

"It's a tough call. Pixar makes some killer movies. I've been in Peds the last month watching them. Or naked muscular chests? I may need to sleep on this one." The nurse said laughing.

"I think that's her way of saying it's getting late." Elizabeth said with a smirk.

As they were standing Carly's phone rang. "It's Sonny." She said pushing talk.

Liz's phone rang next, and seeing Jason's picture pop up had her eyes stinging with relief. "Hi." She said answering the phone. Looking around she saw that everyone was on their phones too. She walked down the steps to the beach, if they all stayed on top of one another then no one would be able to hear anything. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Em come down the steps too before walking a bit in the opposite direction.

"Hey." Jason said happy to be talking to her. "Are you okay?" He would start there. He knew she was unharmed, so this was a question about her emotional state.

"Now that I'm talking to you, I'm great." She said wiping away a tear. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine." Jason promised her.

"You sound tired." Elizabeth said softly.

"I am." Jason didn't bother to deny it. The last forty-eight hours had been a nightmare. They had been attacked in the most cowardly way possible and almost lost a member of their family. As it was an innocent bystander had been killed. Something they made sure their attacker paid for.

"When can we come home?" Elizabeth asked the only thing that mattered.

"Now." Jason was happy to tell her. He needed his girl here. Needed to hold her and prove to himself that she was fine. "Sonny told them to get the plane ready before we starting making calls. One of the guards down there will more than likely come pass the message along shortly."

"Will you be at the penthouse when I arrive?" She was going to go pack as soon as she hung up.

"If I'm not, then I will be home not long after you arrive." Jason let her know. "We are just waiting for a report to come in."

"Is everyone else okay?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

"No." Jason wasn't going to lie to her. "We can talk about that when you get home."

"Okay." Elizabeth could hardly wait.

"I love you." Jason said softly. Now more than ever he was grateful for that.

"I love you too." Elizabeth said blinking back tears.

"Go pack." Jason said grinning. "I need you here."

"I know the feeling." Elizabeth said laughing as they ended the call. She walked back to the stairs and Em was waiting. Smiling wide. "We are going home."

"I know." The young doctor said standing up. "I have never missed Port Charles this much in my life." She said as they walked into the house. "See you in a bit."

"You certainly will." Liz said heading to the study to pack there first.

* * *

><p>Elizabeth stepped off the elevator and the door to the penthouse open. She didn't care that they had an audience she flew into Jason's waiting arms and held on tight. She turned her face into the crook of his neck and simply breathed him in. She was home.<p>

Gary put the bags down and with a nod to Jason left the couple alone. Jason locked the door and carried his girl upstairs. He sat on the sofa in their room and just let the fact that she was in his arms relax him. When she looked up and smiled he answered with one of his own before covering his lips with hers.

They went from a simple kiss to an all-consuming need in a single heartbeat. Suddenly the only thing she wanted was to feel his skin against hers, so she grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and pushed up. They had to part to get the garment off which afforded them both the opportunity to take a breath before his lips covered hers again.

Her shirt and bra went next and Jason moaned when her chest pressed against his. They should celebrate her homecoming with slow love making, but that wasn't what was happening. He had her jeans open and over her hips as that thought went through his brain and got crushed under the weight of their mutual need. "The bed." Jason said as her lips trailed kisses down his neck.

"Here." Elizabeth said opening his pants and reaching inside to grab his engorged shaft. "Now." She wasn't waiting.

"Get your pants off." Jason said urging her to lift one leg and then the other so he could get the denim out of the way. Since her shoes were still on it wasn't happening. So instead he stood up so they could switch positions. His jeans and underwear were kicked off and he urged her onto her knees on the soft leather. Using his bigger body he caged hers on the couch as she pushed her panties out of the way. With one stroke he joined them.

"Oh my god, yes!" Elizabeth said letting her head drop back to his shoulder. "Hard and fast. I need to feel you in every part of me."

Jason didn't hesitate to follow her command. It was just what he needed to. As he stroked within her willing body, giving her all of him with every flex of his hips he let his lips roam her soft skin. She turned her head and he sank into them as his hands massaged her breasts. "I love you." He told her on a growl. "Always, I will always love you."

Elizabeth couldn't even speak she was too wrapped up in the pleasure his body was giving hers, but she heard him. And she felt the truth of those words. Her orgasm slammed into her and she shouted out his name as she fell. Jason's arms came tight around her to keep her close as he continued to stroke before pouring himself inside her.

"I love you." Elizabeth said sated and happy.

Jason still had her in a tight hold as he rested his forehead on the crown of her head. He didn't want to separate them just yet. Finally he pulled free and when his legs stopped shaking stood up. He took off her shoes and jeans before helping her stand as well. "Shower with me?"

"I'd like that." Elizabeth needed him close for now. So she had no problem with that.

* * *

><p>They didn't talk until the next morning. After their shower they got in bed and slept a bit before waking to make love again. More sleep was followed by more making love before they both finally crashed for the night. Not wanting to cook Jason ordered in, and told his girl to stay in bed. He put everything on the tray and took it upstairs.<p>

"Looks good." Elizabeth said as she went back to sofa trying not to blush. She wasn't going to look at the piece of furniture the same again. They sat on the floor in front of the coffee table, and got everything to their liking. She had an omelet, cranberry juice, and coffee. He had huevous ranchos, orange juice, and coffee.

"You want to talk while we eat or after?" Jason would let her choose.

"After." Elizabeth wasn't trying to hide from what happened. She suspected that once Jason started talking she wouldn't want to eat.

When they were done they got on the couch under a blanket. "Someone went after Lainey." Jason said trying to keep his temper in check, even now it pissed him off to say it.

"Is she hurt?" Elizabeth asked looking up at him. She was rubbing his arm to help him stay relaxed.

"No." Jason assured his girl. "But Amy Vining was killed in the attack." She was Lainey's assistant, at one point she had been a nurse at General Hospital but found this suited her better.

"We tried to call Lainey, but couldn't reach her." Elizabeth said leaning back into her guy. She knew this was their worst nightmare, that someone would target their families.

"She is with Cody. Amy's death is hitting her hard." Jason explained why they couldn't reach the doctor.

"Guilt?" Elizabeth was guessing.

"Yeah. Chris was shot protecting Lainey. He's in ICU at the hospital, the doctors expect him to make a full recovery." Jason told Elizabeth. If it hadn't been for his fast reflexes then Lainey would be dead too. The assailants had opted for an old school drive by gangland shooting. It had stunned everyone when they realized that this wasn't a mob related hit, but someone who wanted to scare Lainey's father.

As a high ranking member of the military his name often appeared on the hit list of militant groups. An anti-government domestic terrorist group had decided it was time he learned a lesson by losing his daughter. The entire group was now gone, because the mob guys weren't going to stand for that type of thinking. The Feds were not looking too hard into what happened to them.

"Was anyone else hurt?" Elizabeth would stop by and see him. She figured some of the other ladies would as well. Hopefully she would be able to see Lainey soon too.

"No, one else was hurt." Jason said letting his cheek rest on her forehead. It had been close though. A few of them had only walked away because of the Kevlar they were wearing.

"Is Lainey in Port Charles?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

"She and Cody are in D.C. at the moment. Her parents wanted to see her." Jason said holding his girl just a bit tighter. While his life was a threat to her, you never knew what life would throw at you. This weekend proved that.

"Totally understandable." Elizabeth said snuggling closer.

They sat in silence for a bit before Jason spoke again. "Do you still want to marry me?" The question had to be asked.

"With everything inside me I want to be Elizabeth Morgan." She said her voice steady and her eyes full of love as she looked at him. "This changes nothing." Breaking off the engagement hadn't even entered her mind.

"Thank you." Jason said letting the last of his fear go.

"I've been writing books." Elizabeth blurted out.

"Books?" Jason said smiling. "What kind of books?"

"Children's books." Elizabeth said blushing bright. "I wanted to see if I could do it before I said anything."

"How many?" Jason had no idea she was doing this. But he was happy she was telling him about it. That took trust.

"I have three that are finished. I started the fourth one of the island, but it isn't done yet." Elizabeth said smiling wider. "Would, would you like to read them? Maybe give me your opinion. I was going to ask Carly if I could read them to Michael. He's below the age of my target audience but I just want to hear what they sound like out loud." She said rambling a bit. "Writing a children's book has always been a dream of mine." She confessed softly.

He hadn't known that. "Of course I want to read them." Jason said like it was a no brainer. She was going to have his full support.

"I'll go get my laptop. After you are finished maybe we could start nailing down some wedding details. We need to pick a date and then see about a location." She was going to pull an Emily and have a very short engagement. "I want to get married sooner rather than later."

"I like that sound of that." Jason said smiling. He'd elope but he was too afraid of what the women of his, and her, family would do to him. Not to mention Carly. "Go get your laptop."

"Okay." Elizabeth said walking from the room in his shirt.

Jason leaned back against the headboard smiling. The last few days had been long and at times scary. Still they had handled the threat to their family and organization. They had let everyone know that to come after one of them was a mistake. His girl was home now and she was about to share a new side of herself with him. He already knew the books would be amazing. Her heart would make them that way. The same heart she put into everything she did. Including loving him.

Things had been tense, but now it was over. It was time to get on with life. Which meant making plans for Elizabeth Webber to be his wife. "Thank you." Jason said to the universe. He was a lucky man.

* * *

><p>Thanks for the reviews!<p> 


	15. Chapter 15

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

><p>Something Old, Something New<p>

"Hi there." Carolyn Webber engulfed her youngest child in a big hug. "You look wonderful."

"Thanks mom." Liz said letting the joy of having her mother close fill her up. Both her parents had stayed in Port Charles through Christmas. They were prepared to stay longer, even talking about leaving the relief agency, but Liz urged them to go back to work. Steven did as well. He was worried his parents would smother Liz. For her part Elizabeth wanted to get back to helping those who needed it. What they did made her more proud than she had words to explain. "You look great too. Tan."

Carolyn just laughed. "Not a lot of shade in the village we were serving."

"Don't hog her." Sarah said to their mom. "Hi!" She said hugging her younger sister. "Mom's right you look awesome. Can I see the ring?"

"Sarah you could at least wait until we are at the house." Carolyn said laughing. They were staying with the Quartermaine's for the week.

"No need to deny yourself." Elizabeth said holding out her hand and wiggling her fingers. She had shown her family over Skype but this was the first time any of them were seeing it in person.

"Well done." Audrey said bringing her granddaughter's hand closer. "Will we get a chance to see Jason during our stay?" She asked releasing the hand and getting a hug as well.

"He will be at dinner most nights." Elizabeth said as her mom and sister got a good look at the ruby on her finger. "But he isn't off like I am." It was spring break which meant the ideal time to nail down some wedding details. Liz waited until her family could come to do most of the planning. The only thing big thing she did already was book the venue. The only person she needed for that was Jason.

"So what order are we doing things?" Sarah asked as the ladies walked through the airport on the way to where the car was waiting. She noticed several large men in the area and figured that was security.

"Tomorrow we are shopping for dresses." Liz told her family. "And I will be trying on mom's gown to see if that will work for me." She really hoped so. She remembered looking in the album as a little girl at her mother's wedding dress, and thinking it was stunning. It was a long held dream of Elizabeth's to wear it when she got married.

"It isn't often that I am envious of your short stature." Sarah said getting into the back of the SUV with her mother, and grandmother, while Liz got up front. "But this is one of those occasions." The eldest Webber daughter admitted.

"You were stunning on your wedding day." Audrey said patting her granddaughter's knee.

"I was." Sarah said before laughing. "Mom's dress though is breathtaking." It was also fashion forward. Bold for the time, but Carolyn wasn't going to be talked out of the look she wanted. Their mother had stuck to her guns and the pictures they looked at before leaving California proved it had been the right move.

"I'm anxious to see if it fits. You can make any adjustments that are necessary." Carolyn let her daughter know. She hoped the gown worked out well, because Elizabeth would be beautiful in it. "The veil was a total loss."

"Monica has a floor length cathedral veil that might work. I asked her to bring it to the fitting so we could find out. Emily opted not to wear it, and she said I was welcome to it." Liz explained from the front seat. It had in fact been her best friend who recommended they ask Monica when Liz shared what Audrey passed along after digging out the dress.

"If not then I'm sure we can find something at the bridal boutique." Carolyn assured her daughter. "Dad was jealous that he didn't get to come." This was a ladies only week of shopping.

"I'm sure getting to hang out with his grandchildren will take the sting out it." Audrey said laughing. "I just bet he and Cooper are going to be eating all the junk food they can get their hands on."

"I bet mom is looking forward to some pizza." Elizabeth said grinning. Whenever her mom came home it was the first thing she asked for. "Olivia makes a thin crust that will have you singing."

"How many day before the guys show up?" Sarah asked with a smirk.

"I say three." Carolyn figured Jeff was going to crash this visit. Which was fine, he and Alan could find something to do.

"They will be here tomorrow." Audrey said grinning. She had heard Cooper calling about renting a plane. It just remained to see if the kids could come too. The twins had just finished the medicine for their ear infections yesterday.

"I'm going with Gram." Liz said as they pulled onto the Quartermaine estate grounds. "She's never wrong about stuff like this." Elizabeth said as the car was parked. They trooped into the mansion to find Monica in the foyer.

"Welcome back to Port Charles." She said hugging Carolyn.

"Thank you. It's good to be here for something good this time." Carolyn said smiling.

"Your rooms are all ready." Different ones than the last visit so no bad memories would pop up. "If you ladies want to freshen up a bit you can. Lila is in the parlor and tea will be served shortly." Monica let them know. "Emily is on her way over." She told Liz.

"She sent me a text saying she hit traffic." Liz wouldn't have any problem waiting for her friend to arrive.

"I'm ready to start planning." Carolyn knew they had a lot of ground to cover this week. She and Jeff were going to be back for the wedding, but at the end of the week they were hoping a plane back to Africa. During the flight they would be discussing whether or not to stay with the agency. They had missed a lot of time with Sarah's children, and no doubt Liz would be starting a family in the near future. They weren't sure they wanted to continue on the path they were on. It might be time to return to the States on a full time basis.

"I'm here." Emily said jogging into the house. "Hi."

"Good timing, we are ready to start." Liz told her friend.

"I'll take notes." Sarah had the wedding planning book that her sister mentioned in her bag. "Let's get started, we don't have a lot of time to pull this off."

"You'd be surprised how fast the name Morgan makes things happen." Liz said as they walked into the room were Lila was waiting with a smile. "I could hold this wedding next month and everything would go perfectly. Luckily neither Jason nor I are demanding much, so what we want to happen will not be a major production."

"Welcome ladies." Lila said as everyone took a seat. "Help yourself to sandwiches and pastries." She was excited to be a part of another wedding.

"I thought we would start with flowers." Liz said once everyone was seated. Sarah turned to the appropriate page in the book ready to take down anything important. "What would you recommend for a summer wedding?" Liz asked Lila getting them underway.

* * *

><p>"Ta da!" Liz said ushering her sister into the penthouse. "Home sweet home."<p>

"Lovely. Look at that view." Sarah said walking over to the large windows in the dining room area. She could see all of downtown Port Charles to her right, and to the left was the harbor. "Is there a better view of the water?"

"From the terrace, want to go out?" Liz asked dropping her bag on the couch. Carolyn and Audrey had seen the penthouse the last time they were out.

"Absolutely." Sarah said following her sister out onto the enormous deck. It ran the entire length of the penthouse. "I'm sorry I couldn't come out when you were hurt." She felt awful about that.

"Sarah you guys were sick." Liz said not wanting her big sister to deal with guilt. "I know how that works. Do you remember when Steven caught the chicken pox?" She said giggling.

Sarah laughed too. It was funny now. The three Webber children were tight, and when their big brother starting scratching within three days they were as well. "I certainly do. Or that one really bad year when I brought the flu home."

Liz just groaned. "I think that was the worst. You had it, then I caught it, finally Steven got it. Then he gave it back to you."

"And the cycle started all over again." Sarah nodded. Her kids had picked up something at daycare. Within forty-eight hours of getting the phone call about Liz's accident they all had it. And then Cooper got it. Sarah ended up taking time off from work, but not to fly east like she wanted. Cooper got well in enough time for Sarah to get sick. With both parents now healthy the twins came down with strep and inner ear infections which ended up with them both getting tubes. It was just one thing after another. "Winters are like that often in my house." By the time they were all healthy it was Christmas and Liz had said that dragging the kids east wasn't necessary.

"You wouldn't trade it for anything." Liz knew her sister loved being a mom.

"No, I wouldn't." Sarah said joining Elizabeth on the couch. "Are you guys talking about kids?"

"We want them." Liz missed times like this with her sister. When they sat back and just gabbed. "I don't know how many yet."

"You don't have to tie yourself to a number now." Sarah said putting her feet up on the ottoman. "Have one and see if you want another."

"Or in your case two." Liz said laughing.

"Ha ha. They say twins skip a generation." Sarah knew that was just an old wives' tale. "So chuck it up." Their mother had twins in her family.

"Are you guys done?" Liz wanted to know.

"Not sure. I think I'd like a couple more." Sarah said looking up at the clouds. "Cooper is okay with the thought of one more. So we'll see." If they did it, then it would be soon. It might seem crazy to have her kids so close in age, but right now her career allowed her that luxury. May as well take advantage of it. "You and Jason will make gorgeous babies."

"You think?" Liz had been trying to imagine what their child might look like.

"You are gorgeous, but short." Sarah said and laughed at her sister's glare.

"Keep it up Barrett." Liz huffed.

"Considering that you are smart, and pretty, the least you could do is be vertically challenged." Sarah pointed out. "Gives the rest of us a level playing field."

"So says the woman who got a full scholarship to medical school." Liz pointed out. "And the straight hair."

Sarah just groaned. "All through high school I permed my hair and you straightened yours. It's a wonder we aren't bald."

"I know." Liz said shaking her head. "Sarah?"

"Yeah." The doctor said relaxing.

"Would you be my matron of honor?" Liz wanted to know.

"Seriously?" Sarah asked a pleased smile coming to her face. "I thought you would ask Emily." She knew that her sister and Jason's sister were super close.

"You're my big sister, of course I want you standing next to me when I marry the man of my dreams." Liz was surprised that her sister was surprised.

"I would love to." Sarah said wiping away tears. "You're going to be stunning, because mom's dress is going to fit."

"I'll make sure you are stunning too." Liz said stretching out too. "That cloud looks like a turtle." She pointed up.

"It does." Sarah used to love this game as a child. While Steven was five years older than her. Liz was only one year younger and having a sister so close in age had forged a tight bond between them. They had their rough spots, but for the most part they had always been best friends. "That one looks like a butterfly."

Liz smiled at her sister. "Let's get some hot chocolate and come back out."

"That sounds like an awesome idea. First you can show me more of the penthouse." Sarah said getting up.

"You are on." Liz said as they walked back inside.

* * *

><p>"You're home." Jason said smiling as he walked through the door. He wasn't sure that would be the case. With her grandmother, mom, and sister in town he didn't think he would see much of his fiancée this week.<p>

"I am." Liz said sitting up. She was stretched out watching television.

"I would have left the warehouse earlier if I knew that was the case. I also would have skipped eating with the guys." Shawn had ordered pizza for the crew and Jason grabbed a couple of slices for himself.

"It's good that you did eat dinner." Elizabeth said before leaning forward and placing her lips on his. "I ate with Sarah, and Em." She said before putting her head on his shoulder.

"How are they getting along?" Jason knew his sister was nervous that Sarah wouldn't like her. Em didn't want to be a source of drama during the week, or the wedding.

"Great. Sarah isn't the jealous sort. Neither is Em." Liz said not moving. This was the best place in the whole world to be. With her guy. "I asked my sister to be my matron of honor and she said yes."

"Good." Jason said bringing his cheek to the top of her head. "What are your mom and grandmother up to?"

"They were going out to dinner with your parents and grandparents. Rumor has it that my dad and Cooper are going to crash this gathering tomorrow. Can you recommend some things for Cooper to do?" Elizabeth wanted to know. "My dad will probably end up hanging out at the hospital irritating Steven." She said laughing.

"If Cooper shows up I'll make sure to be around to play host." Jason didn't want his girl worried about that. "The guys and I can show him all the ways to get arrested." He rubbed her back and she practically purred. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"Only a little." Elizabeth admitted cuddling closer. "I did have an absolute moment of panic this morning when the thought that I might not like the way I look in my mother's dress registered. I haven't seen it in years, not even a picture and I'm worried I have built it up to be more than it is in my mind." She could tell him this. "It's also really close to the wedding so if this dress is not what I want I may be in a bit of a bind."

"And?" He said knowing there was more.

"I don't want to disappoint my mom. There was no way Sarah could wear this dress. She's just too tall, and I know my mom would love it if I wore this gown."

"More than that she wants you happy." Jason said tilting her head back so he could look into her eyes. "If you don't like the dress, then don't wear it. Your mother will understand." He also figured Carolyn would pick up on the fact that Liz was lying if the dress wasn't what she wanted. Despite spending large chunks of time away from her kids, the doctor could still read them like a book. "It's our big day, and I know the dress is important. So make sure you are happy."

Liz smiled up at him. "I will. I promise." She knew she could show up in blue jeans and he would still say she was beautiful. So that was one worry lifted. "Do you have room for a snack? I was about to get some fruit salad."

"When does the wedding diet end?" Jason grumbled. "I want some brownies."

"I'm not dieting." Liz corrected standing up. "And we had brownies last night. I'm just making sure to not gain any weight." She hadn't really made many changes to what she ate, or how she worked out. Just small things because she was happy with how she looked. "We will have them again before the week is out. My mother is already dropping hints. So stop pouting."

Jason grinned like a little boy. "That's fine. I can just have you if I am craving something sweet." He said dropping a kiss to the back of her neck before getting down two bowls.

"You certainly can." Liz said bobbing her eyebrows. "In fact I think you and I in bed would be a great way to burn off the fruit salad."

"I think we might need bigger bowls then." Jason said keeping up the sexy banter. He loved it when his girl played with him.

"I think you might be right." She said dropping him a wink before scooping up their dessert.

* * *

><p>"Someone is happy this morning." Liz said poking fun at her sister. Liz and Em had swung by the mansion to have breakfast and pick Sarah up. Carolyn was already at the hospital because Monica wanted to show her a new piece of equipment. Liz encouraged her mom, and now her dad because he was here too, to make time to sit in on some procedures while they were here. Doctors never stopped learning. "What time did Cooper arrive?"<p>

"They touched down at nine last night." Sarah said smiling wide. "They were going to come today, but one of Cooper's buddies had a last minute cancellation so they booked the plane."

"I can't believe you left the kids with Tommy." Liz said shaking her head in disbelief. "He's a big kid himself."

"Tommy is great with the kids." Sarah told her sister. "He's our cousin." She said so that Em wouldn't be lost.

"Liz has told me about him." Em said from the backseat. She was enjoying watching the sisters together. "Another gifted doctor."

"Besides the nanny will keep him from filling them with sugar, right?" Liz asked her sister.

"Exactly." Sarah said laughing. "And the kids are in daycare during work hours so Tommy can't do too much damage." He had relocated to San Diego earlier in the year, working at the same hospital as Sarah in the Pediatrics department. "So what are we wearing?"

"Yes, what are we wearing? Did you see how I waited for your sister to ask so that I didn't get in trouble?" Emily said laughing.

"A true little sister move, I've pulled that on Steven." Sarah said grinning. As the middle child she had the best of both worlds.

"I figured I'd let you guys pick your dresses." Liz said shrugging. They were on the way to the boutique now. Both grandmothers were in the car behind them, and the moms had sent a text saying they were heading over shortly.

"None of that, it's your day. Both Em and I will wear what you select." Sarah had pulled Em aside just before breakfast to talk about this. She knew what her sister was going to say.

"Besides in twenty years when the dresses are totally out of style we want to be able to blame you for picking them." Em said with a lot of cheer.

"Brat." Liz said shaking her head. "I haven't even really looked at bridal party gowns. So I guess I'll pick something when we get there. Maybe orange." She teased them both. Both women made sour faces. "Or chartreuse. What about pink!? Not the pastel but something really bright."

Sarah knew her sister was teasing, but glared at her anyway.

Liz just smiled innocently as she pulled into the parking lot of the boutique. "Time to get to it."

* * *

><p>They had a private room and while the grandmother's got comfortable Liz, her mother, Monica, Sarah, and Em all walked the aisles. "Liz I think you should pull a few gowns for yourself as well." Carolyn suggested.<p>

"Why?" Liz was surprised by that announcement.

"If my gown doesn't work, then you will already have other options." Carolyn didn't want her daughter to feel pressured. There was no indication from Liz that was the case, but she still worried.

"I'm positive your gown will be perfect." Liz said looking at dresses for her attendants. She had already decided that there would be one uniform looks for all six of the ladies.

"But if it's not, that's okay. The important thing is that you are happy." Carolyn said getting that off her chest.

"Thanks mom." Liz said giving her a hug. "I'm so glad you could be here for this."

"Me too. This is one of those moments a mom dreams of sharing with her daughter. I got to do this with Sarah, and nothing was keeping me from being here to share this with you." Carolyn had come to close to losing her youngest child last November, so today was extra special. "I love you pumpkin."

"You haven't called me that in years." Liz said blushing some. "I love you too mom."

"Now let's get some dresses." Carolyn said getting them back on track.

"I see the way you shop hasn't changed much." Sarah teased her sister. Liz had pulled one gown. Saying that she was positive this was the one.

"She's no fun." Em nodded before grinning. "Well let's get into the garment so she can gloat about being right."

"May as well. It's almost like this is all about her or something." Sarah said with a wicked grin before she and Em walked to the dressing rooms.

"I can still go with orange." Liz called after them.

"I for one would pay a lot of money to see Sarah in an orange dress." Audrey said just to cause trouble.

"With beehive hairdos." Lila piled on.

"We can hear you!" Emily called out.

"Good!" Audrey yelled back before she and Lila laughed.

"Maybe we should keep an eye on them." Monica said looking at the two older women. "Can Jason spare some guards?"

"Can I get that young one with dark hair? He has nice buns." Audrey wanted to know.

"I believe you are talking about Ritchie." Lila said grinning.

"Grandmother!" Liz said trying not to be scandalized. "Mrs. Q!"

"What?" Both women said at the same time.

"I'm pretending I didn't hear that." Sarah said coming out in her gown, with Em behind her. "What do you think?" She asked turning in the mirror. She thought her sister had hit a homerun the first time at bat.

"If you don't pick this dress, I may buy it anyway." Emily said twirling.

The gown was perfect. A one shouldered deep plum floor length chiffon gown. It had a ruched bodice, and when the ladies turned there was a slash cut out on the back showing an unexpected flash of skin. The color would look fantastic on all the ladies and the A line silhouette flattered every shape.

"The shoulder strap can be on the left or right. If you want your matron of honor to look different than the rest of the party." The consultant pointed out why Sarah's right shoulder was bare, while Em's left one was uncovered. "Or they can all look the same. We have this dress in stock in the sample size, which is a six, so your party can start getting fitted this week if you like. We do all alterations in house so next month we would be ready for follow up fitting. With the last fitting taking place the week before your wedding which is in June. Correct?"

"That's correct." Liz said looking at her sister, and her future sister in-law. "I love it. I'll take six please. Let me see the shoes." The boutique was full service meaning the bride could get her entire look, or her party's look, here.

Em lifted her gown and showed Liz the deep purple heels. They didn't have them in stock in Sarah's size so she was in black heels of the correct height. "Super comfy."

"I'll take six of those as well." Liz said placing her order. The ladies would have their feet measured when they came in for fittings.

"I'll call the seamstress." The consultant said. They would mark these two gowns today.

"What about jewelry?" Carolyn wanted to know what her daughter was thinking.

"I will pay for that." Liz told her mom. "It will be a gift from Jason and me." There was only so much she was going to ask her parents to pay for. They were insisting on paying for the wedding even though she said they didn't have to. Her parents were well off, but didn't have Quartermaine money so Liz didn't want to be greedy.

"We don't mind." Carolyn and Jeff would get Liz whatever she wanted.

"I know." Liz said letting that make her feel good. She was spoiled, just like her siblings.

"I think now would be a good time to bring up what Alan and I are contributing to the wedding." Monica spoke up. "I talked it over with your mom. Alan and I would like to split the cost of the reception with your parents. Before you argue." Monica stopped Liz from speaking. "We are going to be inviting just as many guests as your family, and it's only fair we cover some of that cost." The guest list was just under two hundred and fifty people, and was an almost even split with the Webbers just edging out the Quartermaines. "Sonny split the reception cost of Em and Dante's wedding with us, which is where I got the idea from."

"We accept. Thank you." Liz said smiling. "Have you told Jason?"

"No." Monica said smiling wide. "You can do that. He won't argue with you." Jason wanted to just pay for everything himself. Alan was the one to explain that it was the parents who footed this bill.

"Sneaky." Liz said laughing.

"I learned from the best." Monica said pointing at Lila.

Sarah and Em got changed and came back out front. "Okay Liz, it's your turn." Sarah said anxious to see her sister in their mother's gown.

"I'll be right back." Liz said really hoping the gown was all she remembered, and that it fit.

* * *

><p>"Hello." Jason was waiting inside the tailor's shop when Jeff, Cooper, and Steven arrived. Unlike the ladies who were a large group this was just Jason and his three future in-laws.<p>

"How long have you been waiting?" Steven had been running a little behind because of work.

"Not that long. I came early to get fitted for my new tuxedo." Jason didn't want to wear the tuxedo that he already owned. For the wedding he wanted something brand new.

"So we missed the fashion show?" Cooper said shaking Jason's hand. "Congrats."

"Thanks." Jason said smiling. "I'm a lousy model, so you didn't miss much. Who is going first?"

"I will, since I have the least amount of time. My dad will go last." Steven said hoping that would give him a bit of breathing room. His father had been following him around all morning. Steven felt like he was a resident all over again.

Jeff just chuckled knowing what that was about.

"I need to look around. Sarah said I needed a new tuxedo too." Cooper said moving off.

Jason just looked at his future father in-law. "What label are you getting?" He would help him find a suit.

"Carolyn gave me a list. I'm hopeless at this kind of thing." Jeff said looking around at the many tuxedos. "She generally picks out my clothing." He admitted.

"It's not that hard." Jason said with a half-smile. "Joseph will make sure anything you pick out works for your body type."

"You are on a first name basis with the tailor?" Jeff asked smiling.

"He's Sonny's guy. I just come here and ask for him." Jason wasn't much for suits either. "Thank you for giving me your blessing." He had indeed called to ask for permission to marry Elizabeth.

"You're welcome. You love her." Jeff said to the fairly quiet young man his daughter had brought home. "I was surprised you took that step. It isn't common to do so, and it took extra effort to reach me."

"Your daughter respects you, and I do as well." Which was what it boiled down to. "I asked Steven as well. He took longer to answer than you did." Jason had to wait three days for Liz's brother to say it was okay. The mob boss would get payback at the next family games.

"Steven is a smartass." Jeff said grinning. "He gets that from his grandmother." He picked up a suit, looked at it and put it back. "Where are you going for your honeymoon?"

"Sicily. We own a villa." Jason passed along. "You are welcome to visit at a later date."

Jeff nodded getting that no one was invited to crash the honeymoon. "All these suits look alike. Is that just me?"

"No." Jason said laughing. "Most of them are exactly the same with different labels inside."

Steven walked up. "I'm done. I'll see you tonight at dinner." Everyone was eating at the mansion.

"See you there." Jason nodded, looking over he saw that Cooper was getting fitted. "Try this one." Jason said helping Jeff out. "Do you know your size?"

Jeff looked at the paper in his hand. "This is one of the names on the list." He grinned and pulled the proper jacket and then the correct size pants. "I need a shirt and tie too."

"They are on the other side of the store." Jason said pointing. "Do you know much about coffee?" He would help Steven out some.

"Not a thing." Jeff said following his future son in-law to where the stacks of shirts waited.

"Would you like to see the warehouse?" Jason knew nothing illegal was coming in today.

"I would love that." Jeff wanted to spend some time getting to know Jason better. He had been thinking more and more on leaving the relief agency and the talk he was going to have with Carolyn loomed large. Settling in Port Charles might be nice, especially if he could talk Sarah into moving east.

"We'll head over after we are done here. Let me check with Cooper, and see if he wants to come too. You can get changed over there." Jason pointed out the dressing area.

"Thanks." Jeff said going to try on his tuxedo. He was going to look snazzy as he walked his baby daughter down the aisle. Nothing less was acceptable.

* * *

><p>Elizabeth got into her robe and then took a moment to take a deep breath before unzipping the garment bag her mother had given her. It was on top of the garment bag that Lila had brought to the appointment. As the zipper lowered the fabric of the dress came into view and Liz slowly let out the breath she was holding. The lace was just as stunning as she remembered from the pictures in her parent's photo album. She was looking at the back of the dress and the pearl buttons shined as the light hit them. The ivory overlay hadn't changed color nor had the ivory silk lining. Carefully she took the gown out of the back and turned it to examine the front. A sweetheart neckline made of plain lace topped the bodice and would be lovely on her. She put the hanger on the hook and slipped out of her robe anxious to see how the dress looked on her.<p>

"I forgot tissues." Carolyn said shaking her head.

Monica handed over a small pack. "I put extra in my bag. I bawled like a baby at Em's fitting."

"Thanks. Considering how much I cried at Sarah's fitting you would think I had them." Carolyn said trying not to be nervous.

"You forgot them then too." Sarah said giving her mom a hug.

"Everyone ready?" The consultant asked smiling. Her bride was ready that was for sure.

"Yes please." Carolyn said looking at the doorway.

The room was silent as Elizabeth walked in wearing the gown and the veil. She was already in tears. Had in fact started crying when she looked at herself in the dressing room mirror. It was real, she was getting married in her mother's dress.

"Oh baby." Carolyn said as the tears flowed down her cheeks. "You are stunning. Even more beautiful than I was in that gown." Her little girl was all grown up.

"Wow." Sarah said taking her sister in. "You look beautiful." She sniffed and reached for a tissue too.

"We're a mess." Liz said wiping away tears. She had thankfully worn waterproof mascara today.

"My brother is going to pass out." Emily said smiling wide despite her tears. Liz was stunning, and just the right amount of sexy.

"It's almost a perfect fit." Audrey said wiping her cheeks as well. "And Carolyn is right, she looked amazing in that gown but you look even more beautiful than she did."

"Beautiful." Monica said crying as well.

Lila was beaming as her eyes shined with tears too. "Simply lovely my dear."

"It's a winner!" Liz said what everyone was thinking. "I'm getting married!" She said looking at herself in the mirror while everyone cheered. "I'm getting married." She repeated smiling. She couldn't wait.

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><p>Thanks for the reviews!<p> 


	16. Chapter 16

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

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><p>Something Borrowed, Something Blue<p>

Jason looked at his fiancée and did his best not to laugh. Sitting on her other side was Ritchie and he was trying as well. It was hard staying composed though because Elizabeth was practically vibrating she was so excited. He looked up at the arrival board and saw that his girl's torture was over. The plane had touched down. "Come on we'll go wait by the gate."

"Okay." Elizabeth said all but bounding out of her seat. It's not like they had far to go, the gate was right there. Nor did they have to worry about a crowd obscuring them. They were in the VIP terminal where passengers from private planes entered the terminal. So they were a welcoming party of three. "Stop laughing." She gave her fiance a look.

"We're not laughing." Jason said smiling wider. "Are we Ritchie?"

"Nope. No laughing." The guard said. He was only here because the airport was generally crowded and a guard was never a bad thing. He had also been named as Elizabeth's primary guard when she wasn't in school so he had been with her for a few weeks now, as they got used to one another.

Liz just glared at the two of them, or she tried to. Honestly she was simply too happy to pull it off. Instead she turned back to the entrance way and just waited. "There they are!" She said bouncing on her toes.

"Hi!" Carolyn said as she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter.

Jeff wrapped them both in his arms creating what in their family was called a Webber sandwich. The parents were constantly trapping their children between them in bear hugs. The best included all three kids, and Elizabeth was generally in the middle. "Hello sweetie."

"Welcome home!" Liz said thrilled that her parents would be setting down roots here.

The phone call a week after her gown fitting had left Elizabeth floored. Her parents were leaving the relief organization and moving to Port Charles. New doctors had already arrived for training and once that was done both Dr. Webbers would leave their remote village. Carolyn said three weeks and she had been correct. To the day.

"It's so good to be here." Carolyn said smiling at her baby girl. "I cannot wait to see the house in person." They had picked a house via the internet. Listings were sent and Liz had used Facetime to "walk" through the houses with her parents. A winner had emerged and Elizabeth began receiving all the items her parents had in storage in San Diego.

"You are going to love it. You aren't that far from us. I'll be over so often you'll be sick of me." She smiled wide at them.

"Not gonna happen. We are hoping you'll be over a lot." Jeff said meaning it. "Where is our wayward son?"

"Emergency surgery. He will come to the house when he's done. I would like points for loving you enough to put you first." Liz said laughing, any chance to outshine Steven must be taken. "Olivia is just waiting for me to call and say that you have landed." Elizabeth explained. "But I want you to myself for a little bit so I haven't done that yet." Liz said shamelessly with a wide smile.

"You will get no argument from me. Hello Jason." Carolyn said getting a kiss to the cheek from her soon to be son in law. She was thrilled that she would be here for the last minute preparations for the ceremony. She and Monica had also been in frequent contact and Jason's mother said things were going smoothly.

"Hello." Jason said shaking Jeff's hand. "This is Ritchie." He introduced the guard, because it wasn't like they wouldn't notice him. "I took the liberty of getting you two cars which are at the house. Steven went with me to pick them out."

"Oh lord." Carolyn said laughing. "We have sports cars don't we?" Her son liked to go fast.

"I asked Elizabeth for final approval." Jason had noticed Steven kept gravitating to the Porsches. The doctor had offered to split the price of his parents' vehicles but Jason declined. He wanted to do something to welcome the doctors to their new home. The cars were from him and his girl only.

"I stocked the refrigerator so that you don't have to worry about that until you run out of milk." Elizabeth told them as they headed for the car. The luggage would be collected and brought to the house. "Sonny cooked most of it, and as you experienced during your last visit he doesn't make a bad meal."

"I am so looking forward to kicking off my shoes and relaxing." Carolyn said as they drove away from the airport. They had spent the better part of the last two days in the air.

"Jason, thank you for sending the plane to get us." Jeff had appreciated that he would do that.

"You're welcome." Jason had wanted his future in laws to be comfortable. The plane met them in London and flew them to San Diego for a visit with Sarah before bringing them here.

"Your sister and grandmother are counting the days until they get to come visit again." Carolyn had gotten enough hugs from her grandchildren to hold her over until the visit. Sarah wouldn't be moving east at the moment, Audrey lived in San Diego for health reasons and the middle Webber child didn't want to leave her grandmother alone. While it was true Tommy lived out there now, he worked a lot. Audrey was enjoying all the time with her great grandchildren as well.

"And you and dad are counting the days until you can start work." Liz knew her parents well. They would make plenty of time for her and Steven, but her mother and father loved their jobs. Liz was so proud of the work they did. "Have you decided what those jobs will be? If dad isn't kept busy he gets up to mischief."

"That is true. I am terrified that if I leave him alone he might attempt a home repair." Carolyn deadpanned.

"I fixed that leak in the wall when we lived in Colorado." Jeff said in his defense while Elizabeth laughed behind her hand. "You didn't have to call a plumber."

"That is true, no plumber but I did have to call a contractor. Jeff you punched a hole in the wall big enough for an elephant to walk through." Carolyn reminded him.

"I needed room to work." Jeff told her.

"I'll leave you with a number to call if you need something at the house repaired or replaced." Jason said as they approached the turn that would lead them to the house. It was set in a quiet area and sat on a few acres of land. They would be safe here. The Webbers had also consented to having a panic room installed which made Jason feel better.

"Thank you." Carolyn said from the back seat. She had a feeling they were going to be well cared for here. "I am joining the staff at General Hospital." She said answering her daughter's question. Carolyn was a gifted pediatric surgeon, and her addition to the staff was most welcome. So gifted that Alan had offered her the department head position because his was leaving which Carolyn happily accepted

"Dad what about you?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

"I accepted an offer to head up the staff at the clinic here in Port Charles." Jeff wanted to still serve those who needed help the most. The clinic was a joint venture funded by both General Hospital and Port Charles University. As an internist he felt he could do the most good there.

"We both start in two weeks." Carolyn was looking forward to the small break. "So if you want to hang out some I'll be around."

"School ends in about a week, and we have half days until then so I'll have some free time." Liz had planned to work on her writing but she certainly would find time to visit with her parents. "You can help me with the last minute wedding details. Sonny wanted you to know you have a standing invitation to his house for Sunday dinner. Also don't forget the Quartermaine's are hosting a welcome to Port Charles dinner for you next weekend."

"I will need to join a gym if we are eating at Sonny's on a regular basis." Carolyn said laughing. Jason turned and the butterflies in her stomach took flight. They were on a private road so the house should be coming into view soon.

"You and Jeff both have memberships at the gym at the Towers." Jason told them. "It's on the second floor, the first time you visit stop at the desk to get registered."

"Go before you plan to work out. At that first visit they take your picture for your membership card." Liz told her mom.

Carolyn just dropped her daughter a wink. Neither one of them was vain, but a gal liked to look nice for pictures. "Oh, it's lovely."

"It looked smaller in the pictures." Jeff said laughing.

"There will be plenty of room for Audrey, Sarah, Cooper, and our grandchildren to stay when they visit." Carolyn said from the backseat. That first visit was going to be for the wedding.

"Remind me of the layout." Jeff asked his daughter, they hadn't gotten out of the car yet. Honestly he didn't pay much attention when they picked it. He just wanted Carolyn happy, and she had loved this on sight.

"There are two bedrooms on the first floor so that will be good for Gram. Two more bedrooms upstairs. There is a study downstairs as well as a bonus space upstairs that I set up as an office." Elizabeth told them. Her parents wouldn't share a work space well. "There is a big family room for us to all hang out in, I put a sleeper sofa there just in case. Out back you have a lovely covered patio and inside you will find all the other rooms you normally have in a house." She said being a smartass. "The kitchen was upgraded with Sonny's help so everything there is top notch. The garage has three bays, and there is a massive shed in the back with your welcome home gift from Steven." Their son had bought a riding mower with a plow attachment to handle lawn and snow care. Their father would love it. "Sarah, and Cooper bought the furniture on front and back porches as well as the hammock and patio furniture."

"We are so loved." Carolyn said wiping her eyes.

"Let's have a look at the cars." Jeff said opening the door for Liz. Their kids were spoiling them. Jason was assisting Carolyn out.

"You are such a guy." The pediatric surgeon said shaking her head. She wanted to start exploring the house.

"Come on." Liz wanted to see their reactions to the cars too.

Jason led the way over, using a key he opened the side door and walked inside lifting both bay doors. "Here are the keys. He handed one set to Jeff while Elizabeth handed one to her mother. "The spares are on the rings as well, you can decide who gets them." Reaching into his other pocket he pulled out two sets of car keys. "Who gets what?"

Inside the garage there was a Volvo XC90 in one bay and a VW Toaureg in the second bay. Steven and Liz had a bet going as to which parent would pick which car. The loser was going to be singing a song picked by the winner at the next Karaoke night at Jake's. "You have to register and insure them still. I'll give you the name of my agent and he will get you a good rate on that." Jason let them know.

"Thank you Jason, this was very generous of you." Carolyn said blinking in surprise. While she may have been out of the country for a while she still knew that she was looking at two very expensive cars. "I'll take the VW please."

Jason handed her the keys and handed Jeff's his.

"Yes! I won!" Liz said doing a happy dance in the driveway.

"You and Steven?" Jeff guessed, his kids were super competitive. "What's he gotta do?"

"Sing Karaoke." Liz said with a malicious grin. Now she needed to pick a song.

"That will be fun." Carolyn would need to record that. For blackmail purposes. "Okay we saw the cars, I want to see inside the house."

"I'll come back out later and play with all the buttons." Jeff said with an unrepentant grin. He really was a big kid at heart.

"Come on let's look around before the luggage arrives." Liz said holding her mom's hand and heading to the house.

* * *

><p>"Is Jason joining us today?" Carolyn asked her daughter. While she was happy to be tagging along this was normally something the bride did with the groom. Over the last week they had been spending as much time together as they could. Dinners with Liz, Jason, and Olivia at the table were common. Steven joined them when work allowed.<p>

"No." Elizabeth said with a small smile. "I told him that he didn't have to come today, since you were here. Registering for gifts almost killed him." She gave up and laughed. "Jason hates to shop."

"I let your father skip this too when we were planning our wedding." Carolyn said laughing as well. Today they were picking out linens and everything needed for the table settings at the reception. "After picking things for the registry this would have made him cry. My mother and your Gram went with me." Carolyn's mother, Imogene, had passed away just before Elizabeth's birth.

"We didn't have to register for plates or stemware." Elizabeth said as they walked to the reception desk. "Lila gifted us all the Morgan tableware. It's been in the family for generations, and is lovely. I will have to show it to you. We already have enough everyday items that more weren't needed." They had bought a lot of household things when they moved in together. Carly had griped that they would be impossible to shop for come the wedding.

"Makes sense." Carolyn remarked. In lieu of gifts Jason and Elizabeth had requested donations to several charities in the area. The younger couple would still get small items from folks closest to them.

"Hello, I'm Elizabeth Webber. I have an appointment and I'm meeting my wedding planner." She told the receptionist.

Not even five minutes later Jordan Ashford came out to greet them. "Hi Liz."

"Jordan you remember my mom Carolyn." Liz said just to refresh everyone's memories.

"I do. Liz mentioned that you were moving here full time. How are you settling in?" Jordan asked taking them deeper into the building.

"Very well." Carolyn was loving life in upstate New York. Jeff was as well. "Wow." She said when they walked into what looked like a large ballroom. Tables were arranged with a variety of settings so that the bride could select what called to her. "If they had done this in my day things would have gone much faster. My imagination sucks for stuff like this."

"From a planners standpoint this is easier." Jordan admitted. "I can just let my couples point. No Jason today?"

"No." Liz just shook her head looking around.

"Not surprising, most grooms skip this." Jordan said laughing. "Let's walk the room and you can tell me what you like. This is Venus." Jordan introduced the smiling woman who walked over. "She owns the rental company."

"We have twelve tables preset. If you don't see anything you like we have more items in the back. Jordan thought these would appeal to you the most. Feel free to mix and match. The empty tables in the back will be set as you make your choices that way you see the final look. When you are done we will lower the lights so you can see how it will look during dinner too." The meal was going to be served with softer lighting for a more romantic feel.

"Ready?" Jordan wanted to know, when Liz nodded the planner made a suggestion. "Pick the linens you like first and we'll get those on the table." They would build from the bottom up.

"I was thinking ivory or cream tablecloths and napkins." Elizabeth wanted a neutral backdrop. "Like table four."

"Round tables or rectangles?" Venus needed to know.

"What do you think mom?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

"Round, it's a more inviting shape." The doctor commented.

"Round." Liz nodded, she had been leaning in that direction anyway. They watched as an assistant put down a rich ivory linen.

"Liz, that looks a lot like the same shade of ivory as your dress." Carolyn pointed out. "I wouldn't want you to fade into the decorations." She would respect her daughter's final choice though.

"Good point." Jordan had been to the last fitting. "Would you consider white silk tablecloths with a white lace overlay, like on table eleven? The silk will shine a bit under the light and give the room a little bit of a glow." That table also had white napkins so the assistants put those down too.

"I would be fine with that." Liz said after both linens were draped on the model table. "What do you think mom?"

"Lovely." Carolyn really liked that combination

"Do you want chargers?" Venus wanted to know. The large ornate plate that went under the entrée plate would go down next.

"No." Liz shook her head. "That would be too much." She looked at the table and frowned before looking at more plates.

"What's wrong?" Carolyn saw the expression even though it was gone quickly. "If you don't like something say so, I want you to be happy." Right now her daughter wasn't.

"It's just that the table has a lot of white. It's a bit stark." Elizabeth said wrinkling her nose. Almost cold.

"What about black napkins?" Jordan suggested knowing that was Jason's favorite color.

"Could we see that?" Elizabeth liked the sound of that. "What do you think mom?"

"Nice, may I make another suggestion? Feel free to ignore it." Carolyn wanted to know.

"Go ahead." Liz was enjoying this time with her mother. She liked knowing her mom's touch was helping to shape the décor. Carolyn had done wedding shopping with Sarah too.

"Over on table nine there are black entrée plates. How about those with white plates for the salad, and white bowls for the soup course with the black napkins folded on top." The doctor suggested, hor d'oeuvres were being butlered before dinner.

"Can we see what that looks like?" Liz really liked the sound of that.

"Absolutely." Venus had that set up.

"I like that a lot." Liz said nodding. With the base set she quickly selected stemware and flatware. Jordan suggested crystal napkin holders and Liz liked that as well. She took a picture. "I'll explain it to Jason tonight and if he likes it we will go with that."

"I have everything marked down. Would you like covered chairs? White linen?" Venus was making notes.

"I would yes." Elizabeth waited while the chairs were set up and took another snapshot. "Thank you Venus and Jordan."

"It's what we do." The wedding planner said smiling. Elizabeth had been a dream client. Often with high profile weddings the bride was a diva, but Liz was confident in her choices without being pushy. She was also willing to at least consider a different viewpoint, even if she didn't ultimately agree with it. "Can we get the lights lowered?" Jordan requested.

"Sure thing." Venus replied, she walked over to the wall panel while her assistant lit several small votive candles.

"Wow." Liz said getting goosebumps.

"That is breathtaking." Carolyn said softly. "What do your centerpieces look like?" She hadn't been here when they were selected.

"Low silver stands stacked with boxes tied with ribbons. On each box will be the name of a guest sitting at the table. Inside the boxes will be the wedding favor." Elizabeth hadn't wanted more flowers.

"Which is, or is that a secret?" Carolyn thought that idea was unique.

"Small chocolate covered mints with M's emblazoned on them." Liz said smiling. "Just a little something sweet to take with you. Nothing fancy. They represent our favorite flavors of ice cream." He liked mint and she liked chocolate. "Do we need to do anything else Jordan?"

"That's it. All the choices have been made." The wedding planner told her bride. "I will be in touch two weeks before the ceremony and from that point on you will hear from me daily. Generally it will be in the form of an email. Of course if you have questions or concerns give me a call." Jordan would make sure everything went off without a hitch.

"Perfect. Thank you." Liz said before she and her mom walked out. "That was the last major decision to be made in terms of the ceremony. The only thing left on my list are gifts for the bridal party."

"Jason is covering the guys?" Carolyn guessed. She would see both gifts because Sarah and Steven were both in the wedding party.

"Yes. I think he said he was getting everyone a watch." Elizabeth knew it was something her brother would use. "So, lunch and then off to the jewelry store? Can you handle that Ritchie?" She liked to check in with her guard once in a while.

"I think I can handle that." Ritchie answered holding open the door for the ladies. Liz was easy to guard something Paulie had often said.

"How about you mom? Sound good." Liz asked smiling.

"Perfect. I cannot wait to see what you pick." Carolyn was just enjoying the day out with her baby daughter.

"Okay Ritchie, let's hit it." Liz said thinking that this was a great afternoon.

* * *

><p>"I love that dress!" Emily said twirling her friend. "Where did you get it?" The soon to be medical school graduate was just arriving at the mansion.<p>

"Downtown at the boutique on Maple." Liz answered her friend. "I saw it and fell in love." So she had gone in and gotten it. Raspberry red with polka dots, cap sleeves, and surplice neckline it had a vintage feel to it that she loved. Liz paired it with white peep toes shoes with a kitten heel. Her balance issues were totally gone, but tonight she hadn't felt like going with a higher heel. "You can borrow it if you like."

"Nope, that's all you." Emily thought her friend was glowing with happiness. "I see I'm not the only one who likes you in this dress." Her brother kept looking over.

"Jason hasn't ever seen me in red before." Liz felt it was time to add the color back into her wardrobe. "I think he might be able to form words sometime before the evening is over." She said with a cocky grin.

"You go Liz." Emily said bumping shoulders with her friend. "Got a minute?"

"Sure, what's up?" Liz wanted to know.

"Can I talk with you?" Emily requested. "In the garden."

"Sure." Liz followed her best friend. "It's so beautiful out here."

"It is. I have spent many a night walking these grounds. The night before I married Dante I snuck out here after everyone was sleeping and just sat for about an hour." She pointed to a grouping of chairs. "Join me."

"Okay." Liz sat next to her friend, for a moment they were silent and then Em started speaking.

"When I first moved here I was so lonely. New house, new school, and a new family. It was terrifying. I had Lila, and I had Jason. To a lesser extent I had AJ and the rest of the family. I think they did their best but this family is rarely calm and peaceful." Emily told Liz. "I settled in and found my way. I only had one wish." She said with a slow smile.

"What was that?" Liz said getting that Em was sharing something extremely personal. Something she probably hadn't shared with anyone else.

"I wanted a sister. Someone closer to my own age." Emily said looking up at the stars again. "Someone I could share secrets with, and giggle in the dark with when we were supposed to be sleeping. Someone who I could cry with who wouldn't judge me. I know I have that last one with Jason. AJ too." She said taking a deep breath. "It's just not the same with brothers."

"No, it's not." Liz totally understood that. She had all that with Sarah, and now with Em.

"It took a while for you to show up." Emily said laughing. "But if you ask Santa enough times for something I think he gets sick of hearing the request and just gives it to you. You're my sister Liz, in here." She tapped her heart. "It doesn't have anything to do with Jason, although that is totally awesome. It just is. I love you." Emily said starting to cry.

"I love you too Em." Liz said reaching for her friend's hand. "You're right it doesn't have anything to do with Jason. It just is." Family came in all different ways. Some you were born with and some you had to wait to come into your life.

"I know you have something old in your mom's dress and Monica's veil." The latter piece couldn't be the borrowed item because Monica had gifted the antique lace to Liz. "The something new is your engagement ring. Something blue you have to get for yourself." Emily said laughing. "I'd like to give you something borrowed." She pulled out a velvet pouch from her pocket. "I think you'll recognize what's in here." She handed it over.

Liz wiped her cheeks before taking the soft fabric bag. "Oh." More tears started. "You wore these at your wedding."

"Lila gave them to me as a wedding gift. They were my something old. She wore them when she married Edward. Monica wore them when she married Alan. You are officially becoming family, so I think you should wear them too." Emily was crying again too. They were gonna be a mess by the time they got back inside.

"I would love to wear them." Liz said sliding over and giving her sister a hard hug. A bezel diamond set flower pattern topped South Sea pearls for a unique and beautiful setting. "I'm wearing my hair up, so Lila and Monica will see them. Thank you Emily."

"You're welcome Elizabeth." Emily squeezed her friend's hand. Looking up she saw Jason step out onto the terrace. His eyes met hers and he frowned. She knew that would be because he could see the tears. "Jason is here."

Liz looked over her shoulder and saw her fiance frown harder. She smiled which only left him confused. "He's worried because we are crying."

"Yeah. I'm going to sneak in and wash my face." Emily said standing up. "You can explain." She said before walking down the terrace a short distance and entering the mansion through the formal dining room where dinner was going to take place in about twenty minutes.

"Is everything okay?" Jason asked looking at his girl and then up at his sister as she slipped into the house.

"It's fine. Emily gave me these to wear." Liz held up her hand and showed him the earrings. "We got a little emotional."

Jason handed her his handkerchief. "For the wedding?" He knew his sister wouldn't give those away.

"Yes, my something borrowed." Liz put them back in the bag. "Will you please hold them for me in your pocket?" She didn't have a bag.

"I can do that." He tucked them away before sitting again. "You look beautiful in your dress."

"Thank you." Elizabeth said blushing slightly. "I wanted to wow you."

"You achieved your goal." Jason hadn't been able to take his eyes off of her since she came down the stairs at the penthouse. "Then again you always leave me fumbling for words." Befuddled was the word his dad used to explain that feeling. "Do we have any plans for tomorrow?"

"Not a one." Elizabeth said leaning her head on his shoulder.

"How about a nice long bike ride? We haven't done that in a while." Jason wanted some time that was just the two of them. He didn't mind sharing her with the people in their lives, as long as he had days where he could be greedy.

"That would be wonderful." Liz loved their day trips. They never set out with a destination in mind. Instead they picked a direction and rode until something caught their attention. No timetable or schedule to keep. Just them and the feel of the wind.

"Mr. Jason, Ms. Elizabeth." Alice stepped out into the warm night. "Dinner will be ready shortly."

"Thank you Alice." Jason replied.

"I need to wipe off my face." Liz said standing.

"I'll wait and we can go into the dining room together." Jason told her linking their fingers as they went back inside.

* * *

><p>"This is like a rehearsal, rehearsal dinner." Steven said when the party was gathered in the parlor having coffee. "We are missing some people to make it an official rehearsal, rehearsal dinner." He pointed out.<p>

AJ and his wife, Sarah and Cooper, Cody and Lainey, and Diane and Shawn were all absent. The first two couples lived out of town. Cody and Lainey already had plans and the final couple was also out of town but for vacation.

"If we eat at the rehearsal dinner like we did tonight I will be in a coma for the wedding." Johnny said stretching out his legs. "I'll pass out when the minister asks for the rings."

"Why would you have the rings? You aren't going to be the best man." Francis interrupted. "I'm going to be the best man."

"I don't think so." Sonny said shaking his head.

"You haven't made the announcement yet?" Elizabeth asked her fiance.

"No, I was hoping they would just kill one another off, and whoever is left can have the job." Jason said with a mischievous grin. His friends were quiet amusing.

"With all the medical personnel in the room, they will pull through." Monica said shaking her head at the guys.

"I don't know. I'm off the clock." Carolyn commented.

"Me too." Alan said smiling wide. "Monica and Kelly are the only ones on call." He told his wife. They had made it through dinner so far without any calls to head to the hospital.

"I don't think I can be of much assistance. I know basic first aid, but unless one of them is having a baby." Kelly left it there knowing everyone could fill in the blank.

"What about Emily?" Francis pointed to Jason's sister.

"I haven't received the results of my intern exams yet." She said grinning and leaning against Dante. Being a senior in medical school and an intern at the same time had been hard, but she made it work. It helped that her husband gave her lots of encouragement and support. "If you are willing to risk it, then I'm game. It will be good practice."

"Forget I said anything." Francis didn't like the gleam in her eyes.

"I can help." Jeff said from his position on the couch. "But I'm charging you, the clinic can use the money."

"I'll assist you Monica. For free." Nadine worked on the Chief of Surgery's service anyway.

"There you go." Monica said laughing.

"You could just tell everyone who is standing up with you and be done with it." Edward told his grandson.

"I don't know if you should rush." Lila said smiling slowly. "I'm sure I could get a large sum for a video of all the guys rumbling."

That made everyone laugh. "Tell us Jase." Carly loved Lila. The woman was a pistol.

"I asked AJ to stand up with me." Jason finally announced, no one was surprised. "He accepted, so you guys can stand down. I would like you all to be groomsmen." He looked at his friends who were all nodding. It was assumed they would be in the ceremony, now he was making it official. "Even you Steven."

"I'm so touched." The trauma surgeon said placing a hand on his heart. "Hear that babe, I made the cut."

Olivia just rolled her eyes. "You already knew that, remember you got a tux." She would have to take pictures of her nephew for Connie. Dante looked amazing in formal wear. His mother was no longer a regular part of his life, hadn't been since she walked away and leaving him with his grandparents when he was ten, but in the last few years they were doing better. Even talking occasionally. So he didn't mind Olivia sharing photos.

"Way to squash my moment." Steven said getting up to refill his coffee. "Anyone else want any?" Everyone else said no.

"We should probably go." Nadine said trying to not yawn. She had worked today, and was on the schedule tomorrow. Right now she was dragging.

"Tired?" Johnny thought she was adorable when she got all sleepy. It wasn't nine yet but his girl had been working hard lately, and sleeping deeply as a result.

"Yeah, sorry guys." She said sheepishly.

"Nurses are the backbone of the hospital." Alan said giving her praise. Nadine was an outstanding nurse. "You have earned the rest."

"Thanks." The blonde nurse said fighting off a blush.

"I'll see you tomorrow for our procedure." Monica told her colleague.

"You certainly will." Nadine said standing up next to Johnny. "Night all."

"Night guys." Johnny said waving.

"I'll walk you out." Jason told his friends. "Be right back." He said to Elizabeth, who just nodded. His words proved prophetic because not a minute after leaving the parlor he rushed back in. "Nadine passed out."

Every doctor in the room sprang into action. "I'll get my kit." Monica said rushing to her office. Like her son she was quickly back. "What do we know?"

"Her pulse is up, but she doesn't feel warm." Emily made the initial report. Just like at the hospital Steven checked her work.

Monica handed her husband the temporal thermometer as she listened to Nadine's heart. "It's fine." She said to everyone. "Did anyone call an ambulance?"

"On the way." Sonny reported looking concerned.

"Johnny has Nadine complained about anything recently?" Steven asked looking at his friend's pupils. "They are responsive."

"No." He said barely holding it together. "She's been tired, but that's normal with her job. She's been fine."

Jason came back into the house with the paramedics. When the address of the emergency was the Chief of Staff of General Hospital the responders didn't dawdle. "Johnny we'll follow you over." The blonde mob boss said as everyone headed to their cars.

"I'll ride in with you." Steven said hoping in the back of the ambulance. With no symptoms that they knew of, trauma would be Nadine's first stop. Luckily he hadn't been drinking, because he was working tomorrow too.

* * *

><p>By the time they arrived at the hospital Nadine was awake again. She reported feeling dizzy and then nothing. So they put her in a trauma room and started bloodwork. Johnny was permitted to sit with her but everyone else had to wait. Alan let the guys hang out in his reception area so they had a bit of privacy. "What would cause this?" Dante asked his wife.<p>

"Any number of things." Emily wasn't going to start guessing. If she said the wrong thing everyone would panic. This was scary enough.

An hour passed with no word and the guys all took turns pacing the room. Another hour passed before they heard footsteps coming up the hall and Johnny appeared in the doorway. Looking stunned.

"Do you have any answers?" Elizabeth was worried about her friend.

"Uh." Johnny looked at all his friends. At all the support they would have had if anything was wrong and felt the full weight of what it meant to be a part of this family. He and Nadine wouldn't ever be alone which was good because they were going to need their friends for what was coming. "Nadine is pregnant."

"Holy shit!" Jason said walking over and giving his friend a hard hug. "Congratulations." He moved aside so that everyone else could offer hugs.

"Its early still, but everything looks good. Kelly gave Nadine an exam. They are going to admit my girl overnight to be on the safe side, but yeah." He said laughing.

"I'm gonna be an uncle." Sonny said hugging Johnny as well.

"Congrats." Francis said next in line. "I'll bring breakfast tomorrow."

"Thanks. I need to get back downstairs." Johnny didn't want to leave Nadine alone for too long.

"Johnny, give me your key and I'll pack a bag for you guys with clean clothes." Elizabeth offered.

"Thanks." Johnny fished out the key ring.

"I'll drive your car back to the Towers." Jason volunteered.

"Okay. I need to go." Johnny said all but bolting from the room.

"A baby." Carly said as everyone left had a group hug.

"Can you believe it?" Liz asked getting into bed.

"Johnny has been saying that Nadine was the one for a while now. So they are in a good place for this." Jason was still smiling. "I'm guessing there will be another wedding before the summer is out."

"We should check with them to see if we shouldn't leave for Sicily right away." Liz didn't want to miss her friends exchanging vows.

"The villa isn't going anywhere." Jason would have no problem with that. "We have all summer to go visit." The work on the house was almost done and he was anxious to see it in person not just in photographs but family came first. "I'm excited to be an uncle again." Sarah's kids already called him Uncle Jason, as did Michael.

"She's going to be beautiful with her round tummy." Liz said snuggling close as Jason turned off the lights. Life was moving forward and it was all positive. They were getting married in a month, Johnny and Nadine were having a baby, and surely someone else in their circle would have good news to share as the calendar rolled forward. And maybe even in a couple of years they might have news of a little one to share.

Jason pulled his girl close and thought of all the good things in his life. The best was in his arms right now. He was looking forward to the day they would start their own family, but that wasn't in the immediate future. However their wedding was. He was counting the days until they were man and wife.

It couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

><p><strong>The next full length DramaRomance I'm With You starts May 31st!**

Thanks for the reviews!


	17. Chapter 17

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thank you sloppyjo89 for the first dance song choice

Not Safe For Work

* * *

><p>I Do<p>

"You look great!" Carly said opening the door and admitting the guests of honor.

"Thanks. I saw this dress last week when I came from my final fitting and decided on the spot to get it." Liz said after getting a big hug. The teal blue color had made her smile when she stopped to look at the display. Trying it on made her smile wider. It was a classic fit and flare dress with a V neck and a pleated skirt. She paired it with red suede pumps, a heart necklace that her parents had given her on her eighteenth birthday and knot earrings that she had owned since college.

"It was a good buy. That will never go out of style." Carly told her friend. "You look nice as well."

"Thanks." Jason said getting a hug. He was in blue dress pants and a blue button down top. Nothing fancy. "Are we the first ones here?"

"Yup." Carly said leading them into the house. "Liz and I planned it that way. You don't want to arrive late to your own party." The blonde pointed out.

"Where's the munchkin?" Jason said peeking into the living room. They were heading to the kitchen because that was where Sonny would be.

"With his grandmother and his uncle." Carly didn't make a habit of sending her son to a sitter when their friends came over. Everyone adored Michael so there wasn't a need. But tonight was special. Tonight was Jason and Liz's rehearsal dinner and the gathering was adult only.

"Hey." Sonny said putting down his knife and coming around the large marble island. He kissed Liz's cheek. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you Sonny. The kitchen smells amazing." Liz said waving to Max, Milo, and Cody who were hanging out. "Have you been cooking all day? Except for the time at the church obviously." She added on. This morning they had a run through of the ceremony. The butterflies had been running amok in her stomach ever since, because in about twenty-four hours she was getting married.

"Please the man has been cooking for days." Carly said giving her husband a look. "He won't let me sample anything. I've been drooling, which is not a good look." She joked.

"You didn't have to go through all that trouble." Jason told his friend. They did own several restaurants so Sonny could have just ordered in.

"When family comes over I cook. Thank you for letting me host." Sonny was excited when Liz called and accepted his invitation for everyone to gather here. With her parents now living in Port Charles they were the obvious choice for the rehearsal dinner.

"Like you said we are family. I'm just worried you are going to put my carefully crafted menu tomorrow night to shame with your cooking." Liz was including as many folks as she could in the festivities. Johnny had planned the bachelor party last week since AJ hadn't arrived from London until two days ago. Emily of course hosted the bachelorette party at her penthouse. Francis and Kelly were hosting the brunch on Sunday after which the out of town guests would leave. Cody and Marco were in charge of security for the big day, while Max, Shawn, and Milo along with Cooper were acting as ushers. The parents of the bride and groom had been asked to just sit back and enjoy the weekend. They had worked hard in the months leading to the ceremony and now should have the opportunity to enjoy it without having to worry. Jordan and Venus had everything under control.

"I better not since that food is coming out of one of my kitchens." Sonny said laughing.

"Can I get you guys something to drink?" Carly said going into hostess mode. Everyone would be sitting outside. Venus had come over and set everything up and it looked stunning. Now all they needed were the guests.

"Water please." Liz said telling herself not to look at the clock. The time was crawling by.

"Same here." Jason knew better than to say he would get it.

"Here you go." Carly said coming back with two glasses. "Go see the backyard." She was really hoping Liz liked it.

"Okay." Liz said taking Jason's hand in hers.

"What did you ask Carly to do outside?" He asked sipping his water.

"I left it up to her." Liz told her fiance. "She called Venus and they came up with a design. Whatever it is will be lovely." She knew that for a fact. They walked outside and she stopped to take it all in. "It's lovely."

"They really went all out." Jason said putting his arm around his girl and pulling her closer. This was going to be the longest night of his life, and tomorrow would be the longest day. They were getting married at seven p.m. and he didn't know if he had the patience to make it. It seemed that time was moving backwards because it really should be tomorrow night already.

"Do you like it?" Elizabeth asked looking up at her soon to be husband.

"Yeah." Jason said quietly.

"Let's have a closer look." Liz said moving deeper into the space. A long wooden table dominated on side of the yard. It was covered with a black table cloth and a black and white stripped runner down the middle. The chairs were also black which meant the silverware, glassware, and white plates all sparkled when the light hit them. The centerpieces were small enough that they didn't impede conversation and added a bright splash of color. Liz recognized the blooms as Lila's. They would eat family style which was perfect for the evening. Overhead small lights hung ready to be turned on when the sunset. Tiki lamps filled with citronella would also add brightness as they kept away the bugs. Having been here before Liz knew that the sound system would be on, and she just bet all hers and Jason's favorite songs would be playing. Across from the table a good sized wooden floor had been laid down for the evening so that they could take advantage of that music. After dinner folks would either go there, or to the large patio's conversation areas.

"So, what do you think?" Carly wanted to know. Venus had been easy to work with, and understood that neither Liz nor Jason would want something fussy.

"Simple elegance." Liz said smiling. "Thank you Carly." Her friends had refused to allow Jason to cover this expense.

"Venus wouldn't tell me anything about how the room will be set up tomorrow night, but she said black and white are included. She was a delight to work with, and I'll be calling her for our next party." Carly said looking around. If it was her there would be a lot more glitter, but for the couple they were honoring this was perfection.

"We love it. I want to get some pictures before everyone arrives." Liz said digging out her phone. "You guys go stand over by the table." She said snapping away.

Carly and Jason did. "I'm really glad you finally got your butt in gear and asked her out last year." The blonde said smiling at her friend and then at Liz. "She's perfect for you."

"She is, better than I deserve." Jason said putting his arm across his friend's shoulder.

"Well duh." Carly said laughing. "Be happy." She would say the same thing to Liz tomorrow.

"We will." Of that Jason had no doubt.

"Let me take some pictures of the two of you." Carly said reaching for the phone. "Don't move." She said getting out her phone too. "We should get back in. Everyone will be arriving shortly."

As they moved to the door Liz stopped and looked back at the table. This was her last night as Elizabeth Webber, tomorrow she would have a husband, a new last name, and she would begin the next phase of her life. With a smile she headed inside. She couldn't wait.

* * *

><p>"Good morning sweetie." Carolyn said giving her daughter a big hug. Last night, for the first time in years, she had all her children under her roof. It felt wonderful. "Ready for breakfast?"<p>

"I'm not sure I can actually eat anything." Liz said smiling. It wasn't nerves, but excitement that had her tummy flip flopping.

"Granola bar." Carolyn said holding up the brightly wrapped snack.

"You will probably snack off and on all day." Audrey said coming over and getting a hug. "By the reception you'll be ready to eat something."

"What about you Emily, would you like some pancakes?" Carolyn asked the young lady who had quickly become a surrogate daughter. She was a frequent visitor to the house, sometimes coming without Liz.

"Yes please." She said sitting next to Sarah. "I know I said this before, those are some cute babies."

"That's because they are behaving." Sarah said laughing. "Hopefully that will be the trend for the day."

"They will be fine." Liz wasn't going to worry about anything today. "So what is the schedule? Thanks dad." She smiled as he put a hot chocolate in front of her, Sarah, and Em. The three of them had been up late last night talking. At midnight Jason had called to say that he loved her, and couldn't wait to see her again.

"We are just relaxing until its time to head to the mansion." Carolyn said taking a seat.

"The glam squad is arriving at two." Emily filled in. With so many ladies getting ready they were taking over several bedrooms at the mansion. One area for hair, one for makeup, and one area for dressing. It was the same setup they had for Emily's wedding. Yesterday the ladies had taken over a salon downtown and had their nails done, so at least that was out of the way.

"If I sit here all day I'm going to go stir crazy." Liz said looking at her family.

"Hey kiddo. Happy wedding day." Steven said coming in followed by Olivia. "So you're looking for something to do to pass some time?"

"Got any ideas?" Liz asked her big brother. He, her dad, and Cooper were heading out around ten to meet up with Jason.

"What are you guys doing?" Sarah asked looking at Cooper.

"Golf." He said shrugging. "Jason's grandfather booked a bunch of tee times and we'll be breaking up in groups. We." He pointed to the guys at the table. "Are swinging by the hotel to pick up Uncle Tom, and Tommy."

"Jason hates golf." Liz pointed out. Steven snickered. "What?"

"Edward knows his grandson hates golf, but the private course is about as far from the mansion as you can get. Last night Jason tried to sneak off the grounds." Steven ratted out his soon to be brother in-law.

"How do you know that?" Audrey asked her grandson. "You were here."

"There was a betting pool." Cooper said laughing. "The guys picked what hour they thought Jason would finally crack. Marco was on duty and he sent out an alert telling everyone exactly what time it happened."

"Who won?" Emily wanted to know.

"Your grandmother." Steven said laughing. "She's donating the money to the hospital Christmas gift fund." It was a pretty impressive haul too.

"You guys should be ashamed of yourselves." Liz said shaking her head. If she thought she could have gotten away with it she would have snuck out herself. Gram was sleeping in the living room and getting past her wasn't going to happen. Liz knew that from her teen years.

"Since the guys are going to be out, let's go swimming." Emily suggested. That would be something nice and relaxing. "We can laze around the pool, and maybe even get some color."

"I'll meet you guys there." Sarah said wiping her son clean. "Carly and I are taking the kids to Michael's favorite park." There was an area set up for the smaller folks at the reception, but both moms wanted to start wearing their kids out early.

"Can I tag along?" Liz wanted to know. She was enjoying this chance to be an aunt. She had already bought a ton of items for Sarah to drag back with her.

"Sure." Sarah said smiling. "The fresh air will do you good."

"I'll go to mansion and get everything set up." Emily said finishing her drink. "I'll also send out the alert to tell everyone to head over."

"Mom what are you doing?" Liz asked looking over.

"I'm actually heading over to the hospital. I'm doing paperwork." Carolyn was going to spend some time updating files and reviewing test results. The mundane activity would calm her nerves. Monica was doing the same thing. "I'll be at the pool by lunch."

The kids nodded knowing why their mother was heading in.

"Gram?" Liz looked at Audrey.

"Lila and I are going to see if we can't get into some trouble before the ceremony." The older woman said with a wicked grin. Actually they were spending the morning at the arboretum. They had an exhibit that Audrey wanted to view and Lila was the perfect tour guide. "We should also be at the mansion around lunch."

"See the whole day is planned." Olivia was also going to work for a bit. She was the general manager of the Port Charles Hotel, which happened to be where the wedding was taking place. So she wanted to go and check that everything was running according to schedule. "Now all you have to do is stay calm."

Everyone smiled at Liz who just looked at the clock.

* * *

><p>"Stop pouting." Johnny said laughing. "It's really unbecoming."<p>

"Yeah, you look like Michael when he is denied his favorite toy. Only he's way cuter." Francis said taking a swipe at his friend.

"Your face will get stuck that way." Alan tacked on.

"Why was Marco on the grounds anyway?" Jason wanted to know.

"Because we don't trust you. If it makes you feel better you got further than Dante did. He didn't even make it out of my house. You made it all the way to your parent's gatehouse." Sonny said walking over. He ignored the glare from the younger man. "Our group is up." They were going out in sets of four every half hour. Jason's foursome was the next to last to go. He should finish his game right around the time he needed to start getting ready. At the moment the guys that weren't golfing were hanging out at the clubhouse.

"I will see you at Sonny's." Johnny said getting to his feet. That was where the guys were gathering before heading over to the hotel. He walked over to where his boss, Cooper, and AJ were waiting. The groupings had been put together by averages. This group was in the middle. Jason's group was near the bottom.

"You almost made it off the grounds." Alan said smiling at his son.

"It's a stupid tradition. Neither one of us is the least bit superstitious." Jason pointed out. "My seeing her the night before the wedding would not have caused any harm."

"Too bad I don't play the violin, you could use some accompaniment." Francis said laughing.

Alan just smiled at his son. "You'll survive. Emily said they had fun last night." He had checked in with his daughter this morning.

"Where are the ladies now?" Francis hadn't asked Kelly what was going on. While she wasn't in the bridal party itself she had been invited to participate in all the preparations.

"The mansion. It takes them longer to get ready than us, so they are going to be getting underway shortly." Alan knew that because Monica had called him not long after he arrived at the clubhouse.

Jason thought his girl didn't need all that fancy goop. She beautiful without a drop of makeup on her face. He looked up at the clock, less than ten hours to go. He could do this, because tonight Elizabeth was becoming his wife.

"I'm going to find out where Steven and the rest of my group is." Francis said getting to his feet. "Can you keep Jason from making a dash for the cars?"

"I can handle it. Cody is right over there if I need back up." Alan pointed to a table closer to the door. The enforcer was also in Jason's grouping, because his golf game was horrible.

"See you at the mansion." Francis would give dad and son some time alone.

"Your mother and I are thrilled that Elizabeth is officially becoming family." Alan thought his son had made an outstanding choice of future wife.

"I probably had you guys worried for a while there." Jason said smiling. "The women I've brought home over the years have been…unique." He said trying to find the proper word.

"That's one way to describe them." Alan hadn't been as horrified as Monica. He figured when it was time to settle down Jason would bring home someone the family adored, and the Chief of Staff was pleased that his prediction was correct. "All we ever wanted was for you to be happy."

"I am." Jason said smiling wide. "More importantly we are." As a unit he and Elizabeth was happy and strong.

"Good. I also give you my word I won't let your grandfather mention children for one year." Alan could promise this because Lila had threatened Edward with bodily harm if he started that 'next generation of ELQ' crap. It had been a very amusing conversation to watch.

"That might be the best wedding present we get." Jason said chuckling. "I won't be upset if you can't pull it off." Because it was a tall order. They both wanted children and in time they would come. For now just the two of them was perfect.

Jason looked at the clock and willed the hours to melt away.

* * *

><p>The ladies had a great day, there was a lot of laughter as they got primped by the glam squad. Elizabeth's personal hairdresser was also there to do her hair. They had started practicing in March, experimenting with different styles before settling on a bob with loose soft waves framing her face. Liz had considered both hair extensions as well as a wig but ultimately said no. She wanted to be as natural as possible today, wanted to be her authentic self when she became Elizabeth Morgan.<p>

"Ready?" Liz asked as her mother stepped down from the chair she had been getting her make up done in.

"I am." Carolyn took in her daughter who was glowing with happiness. "You already look beautiful." She said trying not to cry.

"I didn't want to be heavily made up." Liz had opted for a dewy natural look. One that would still look great in the pictures, because yes they had taken test shots, but didn't make her feel like she was wearing a mask.

"I love your dress." Liz said as they walked to the room where her gown was waiting. Her mother was totally put together, and was going to make her dad lose his breath.

"Thank you. I coordinated with Monica so that we weren't in the same color, or clashing colors." Carolyn explained. Both moms look amazing. "Thank you for asking me to help you get dressed. I wasn't expecting that." It was a special moment that she was going to treasure forever.

"I wanted you to see me in my dress before anyone else." Liz said as they walked into the cool room where the seamstress was waiting, just in case. She stepped behind the screen and took off her robe and then slipped into the dress. The seamstress came over and closed the hidden zipper and gave her bride one last final look. The antique veil went on and Liz stepped out.

"Elizabeth." Carolyn said wiping away tears. "You look so beautiful." She said unable to continue she just held out her hand and ushered her daughter to the mirror.

"Wow." Liz said blinking back tears. The strapless ivory gown with crisscrossed bodice fit to perfection. The stacked layers of lace over a silk underlay gave her a soft look that made her feel ethereal. The cathedral length veil made her feel like a princess. She lifted the skirt, which was only slightly shy of being straight and showed her mother her satin sandals. Emily's earrings added the perfect final touch.

"Jason isn't going to know what to say when he sees you." Carolyn finally found her voice. "Neither will your father." Jeff was going to cry, just like he did at Sarah's wedding.

"Thank you for letting me have this dress. I couldn't imagine getting married in anything else." Liz said taking her mother's hand in hers. "The photographer should be here shortly. I asked her to come down because I want some pictures of just the two of us before I let everyone else see how I look."

"I would love that." This was a special moment for them. "Be happy."

"I will." Liz said. "We will." She was echoing Jason's statement to his father. "I'm glad you'll be here to see it."

"So am I." Carolyn said wiping away more tears. "I'll let the photographer in and then we'll go out to the main room." It wouldn't be long before the limos arrived and they headed over to the wedding site.

* * *

><p>"My baby is all grown up." Jeff said as he proved how well his wife knew him by wiping away tears. "You look beautiful."<p>

"Thanks daddy." Liz said smiling up at the man who had been her hero her entire life. He set the bar high, and only Jason had been able to reach it.

"Jason is good man. He's going to take good care of you, just like you'll take good care of him." Jeff said taking his little girl's hands in his. He was positive that just yesterday he walked her into the class for her first day of kindergarten. Leaving her there had been hard, but it was the beginning of her being the amazing young woman who was standing in front of him. The one who was stronger than anyone else he knew.

"He's the second best man I know." Liz said as her voice shook.

Jeff couldn't say anything he just wrapped his baby up his arms and held her close. "I love you."

"I love you too." Liz said blinking back the tears. If she started crying now, she'd still be crying when she walked down the aisle.

Jordan knocked and then stuck her head in the room. "All set?" When she got two nods the planner walked in with the photographer. Like with her mother there would be some private pictures with her father. "The ladies are all lined up, and your groom is waiting."

"Ready dad?" Liz asked looking up at him with shining eyes.

"Yeah." Jeff said offering her his arm. That wasn't true, a dad was never ready to give his daughter away. However that was his issue not his little girl's.

They joined the ladies in the private hall leading to the main ballroom. Sarah turned and dropped her sister a wink which made Liz laugh. Her sister and the other ladies in the party look stunning in the deep purple single strap floor length gowns.

Jordan and one of her assistants straightened the skirt of Liz's gown and the veil. "We are ready." The planner said into her headset. "Ladies, its go time." She told the party giving them one last look as well. From the hall they could hear the processional music just before Jordan gave the order to open the doors and Nadine stepped into the room.

* * *

><p>Jason's eyes had been on the door the ladies would enter through since he took his place in front of the minister. If he thought time had moved slowly this morning and afternoon, the last hour had shown him what slow was really all about. The guys had all been around, but they had given him space recognizing that he wasn't in the mood to talk. What he wanted was to get married.<p>

After what felt like four lifetimes one of Jordan's assistants came to get them because it was time to start. Now Jason just had to control himself a little bit longer. Inside his head he was repeating to himself that he had to stay put until Elizabeth was by his side. Running up the aisle wasn't the way to start the ceremony.

One by one the ladies walked into the room and down the runner until Sarah was in place. The doors closed, the traditional wedding march began, and the guests rose to their feet. The doors opened again, and when Elizabeth came into view, with a smile that rivaled the sun Jason's heart starting beating harder in his chest. She was simply the most beautiful vision he had ever seen in his life. And she was giving herself to him. Trusting her heart to his care. The most single precious gift he had ever been given.

With each step she took Elizabeth's smile grew wider. Every step took her closer to the next chapter of her life. The one where she would be Elizabeth Morgan. She had the urge to tell her father to hurry. It seemed like Jason was still entirely too far away, Sarah had said that feeling would come rushing forward. Her big sister said not to give in, to take her time walking up the aisle. To enjoy every single moment of this day, and her special moment where all eyes were on her. It was advice Elizabeth was heeding.

Finally she was beside him. The man who was going to be her husband.

"You look beautiful Elizabeth." Jason leaned in and whispered. Jordan had timed the music so that it would play for a few moments more after her bride reached the minister so that the couple could have some privacy to speak to one another it they chose to do so.

"You look so handsome." Elizabeth said quietly as a light blush graced her cheeks.

The music ended and the minister smiled. "Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to join in holy matrimony Jason Morgan and Elizabeth Webber. If anyone here today can show cause why they should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace." Silence filled the room. "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

"Her mother and I do." Jeff said as his eyes filled with tears. He took Elizabeth's hand and placed it in Jason's. "Be good to her."

"I will, I give you my word." Jason told his soon to be father in-law.

Jeff placed his hands on both their shoulders. "We love you both." He said quietly before moving to his seat.

"Jason and Elizabeth, please join hands and face one another." The minister intoned. Once they had done so, he began the ceremony. "Jason and Elizabeth, I would charge you both to remember to treat yourself and each other with respect, and remind yourself often of what brought you together today. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your marriage deserves. When frustration and difficulty assail your marriage - as they do to every relationship at one time or another - focus on what is right between you, not only the part that seems wrong. This way, when clouds of trouble hide the sun in your lives and you lose sight of it for a moment, you can remember that the sun is still there. And if each of you will take responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight."

"Jason, do you take Elizabeth to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her forevermore?"

"I do." Jason said looking into Elizabeth's eyes.

"Elizabeth, do you take Jason to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him forevermore?"

"I do." Elizabeth said without hesitation.

"May I have the rings please?" The minister requested. AJ handed over Elizabeth's ring, and then Sarah passed over Jason's. "Bless these rings lord, symbols of the vows made here today, and the couple who where them. Help them to stand strong through life's storms as well as to celebrate the times of sunshine. Bring love and joy into their lives. Let them live in peace and favor all the days of their lives. Amen."

Jason took her ring and placed it in on Elizabeth's finger. "I, Jason, take thee, Elizabeth to be my wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow and I promise my love to you."

Elizabeth took his ring and placed it on his finger. "I, Elizabeth, take thee, Jason, to be my husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, and I promise my love to you."

"Just as two threads woven in opposite directions will form a most beautiful tapestry, so too can your two lives merged together make a beautiful marriage. To make your relationship work will take love. This is the core of your marriage and why you are here today. It will take trust, to know in your hearts that you truly want the best for each other. It will take dedication, to stay open to one another - and to learn and grow together. It will take faith, to go forward together without knowing exactly what the future brings. And it will take commitment, to hold true to the journey you both pledge today to share together." The minister said reaching the final portion of the ceremony. "Jason and Elizabeth, in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in matrimony, have promised your love for each other by these vows, the joining of your hands and the giving of these rings, I now declare you to be husband and wife. You may kiss."

Jason gently cupped Elizabeth's cheek as he lowered his head and touched his lips to hers. "I love you." He told her when they parted.

"I love you too." Elizabeth whispered back before leaning up and kissing him.

"It is my privilege to present to you Mr. & Mrs. Morgan. What god has joined together, let no man come between." The minister said in conclusion.

"Thank you." Jason said shaking the hand of their officiant before linking his fingers with his wife and leading her out of the ballroom.

* * *

><p>Guests were ushered into the spacious lobby off the ballroom while the space was converted for dinner service. Hors d'oeuvres were served and the orchestral trio who played during the wedding were once again pressed into service. While all this was going on the wedding party was being photographed. Which brought about a new form of anxiousness for the newly married couple. The need for some time alone, which wasn't going to happen anytime in the next few hours. Elizabeth gave Jason a grin as they posed for yet another photograph, she could see what he wanted in his eyes. Just like she knew he could see it in hers.<p>

* * *

><p>They entered the ballroom to applause from their guests. They made their way to the dance floor and waited for the music to start. They did have a song that they considered to be theirs, but that wasn't what they were choosing to dance to this evening. Since Elizabeth was honoring her mother, and in broader sense her parents' marriage they wanted to find a way to honor Monica and Alan as well. This first dance presented them with an opportunity to do just that. Of course they opted to not tell Jason's parents what they were doing, wanting to surprise them instead.<p>

The opening strands of Anne Murray's "Could I Have This Dance" filled the ballroom. Alan and Monica's marriage had several rough patches including a divorce. When they remarried shortly after AJ was born this was the song they danced to for their first dance. While this wasn't their favored type of music, both Elizabeth and Jason thought the lyrics reflected their feelings nonetheless, so it was the perfect choice for them as well. When the song ended they got big hugs from both Dr. Quartermaine's as the DJ explained the symbolism behind the music to the guests. Next up was the Father/Daughter dance, followed by the Mother/Son dance. Dinner was served, the cake was cut, and then the entire wedding party took to the floor to officially get the party underway.

"Having fun?" Liz asked when they were seated at the head table watching their friends dance.

"I'm with you so that goes without saying." Jason told her, he picked up her hand and kissed above where the rings he had given her rested. He had picked an eternity band for to complete her wedding set and the stones shined in the overhead lights.

She had to blush at that. "Jordan will be coming to get us soon. I told her we were not staying past the three hour mark, so we need to finish up the last of our wedding duties."

"I'm gonna have a hard time controlling myself when I have to reach under your dress to get the garter." He said letting his voice drop to a husky whisper. "I missed you last night."

"I missed you too." Liz said resting her hand on his cheek and kissing his lips. "For the next month we don't have anything to do but be together." They were leaving for Sicily in the morning.

"I like the sound of that." Jason growled before kissing her just a bit deeper, but keeping in mind they were in public. A throat being cleared had them lifting their heads.

"We are ready to have you say a few words, for the bouquet toss, and for the garter. Then the two of you can sneak away." Jordan said smiling. She had been warned that the newlyweds would not be announcing their departure.

"Come on." Jason said standing up and helping his wife to her feet. They followed Jordan to the stage and when the song ended they walked up. "Hello." It had been decided he would talk. "Elizabeth and I would like to say thank you to everyone for coming to see us get married. We'd also like to thank Jordan, Venus, and their crews for all the hard work they put into the ceremony and reception. Finally we'd like to thank our family and friends for all your love and support not only during the planning of the wedding, but for the entire time we've been dating."

The crowd cheered when Jason was done, and a few folks looked a bit stunned. No one had ever heard him say that much in public before.

"Can I have all the single ladies on the floor please?" Elizabeth requested waving the duplicate bouquet. When a good sized crowd had gathered she turned around and tossed the flowers. When she was facing front she saw a stunned Diane holding them.

Jordan brought out a chair as Jason helped Elizabeth down to the floor. "I'm going to aim for Shawn." He whispered in her ear.

She smiled and nodded taking a seat. Jordan had placed the seat so that Elizabeth's back was to their guests, and Jason got down on one knee to reach up under the lace. This move was greeted with several loud wolf whistles and catcalls. For his part Jason was just trying to keep his body in check. Prize in hand he walked up onto the stage and let the garter fly. His aim was good, and the wispy piece of lace landed right where it was supposed to.

They watched their friends dance before getting hugs and kisses from their family. Jason nodded to Sonny and the older man nodded back with a smile as the young couple slipped out through the service entrance. Behind them the reception continued on as they headed upstairs to the honeymoon suite.

* * *

><p>Jason carried Elizabeth off the elevator and down to their suite. It would have been swept earlier by the guys. She had the keycard and tapped it against the reader so they didn't have to stop. He kicked the door shut, taking a second to lock it before walking them straight back into the bedroom.<p>

His mouth was on hers as he sat her down, immediately her hands went to his tie undoing the knot and flinging it away. The buttons on his shirt were the next thing her busy little fingers tackled, and in no time she was pushing the fabric off his shoulder. The t-shirt went next, making them separate briefly before his lips had captured hers once more.

"Kick off your shoes." She demanded as the belt was opened.

"Should we slow down?" Jason asked gasping for air.

"We have an entire month to go slow." Liz replied with a sinful grin.

"I love you, I've mentioned that right?" He was in complete agreement with her, but would have found the strength to go slowly. He just wanted to be inside his wife.

"You have." Liz assured him opening his pants and pushing them over his hips. "Now you can show me."

"How do I get you out of this dress?" He wanted to know. When she turned around he spotted the zipper and took a deep breath to calm down. He didn't want to rip the gown because his hands were shaking. In a matter of seconds the metal was open and he was looking at the sexiest piece of lingerie he'd ever seen. "A corset."

"I wanted something special for tonight." Liz said turning to face her husband as she kicked off her heels. "I can always wear it again." She said opening the hooks and letting it fall to the floor before letting her panties follow.

"Again works for me." Jason said pulling her forward until their bodies touched and tumbling them both to the bed. The rolled and when they stopped he was over her. She pushed his underwear down freeing his engorged shaft and gave him a few strokes. "Put me inside you." He said his eyes locked on hers.

She did humming deep in her chest as he filled her up. "Perfect." She said on sigh. "It always feels so perfect."

"It always will." Jason promised pulling back before thrusting forward again. "We are made to be together." He felt that in every part of his being. "You were made to be mine."

"Just like you were made for me." She said wrapping her legs around him as talking became impossible. With every stroke he moved deeper inside her until he was touching her very soul. Unable to hold back she gave into the pleasure her muscles squeezing him tight and taking him with her.

Gently he kissed her as he separated their bodies and urged her close. This was his wife, his heart, and his reason for being on the planet.

As their bodies cooled he tightened his arms around her and closed his eyes. They would rest for a bit, and later make love again. Then they would probably sleep in preparation for the flight and the beginning of their lives as the Morgans.

* * *

><p>Thanks for the reviews!<p>

Wedding Ceremony from KCMINISTEROFLOVE


	18. Chapter 18

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Liason102 for the edit!

Wishing you all peace, happiness, and love during this holiday season!

* * *

><p>All I Want For Christmas Is You<p>

"It's the most wonderful time of the year." Elizabeth sang along to the penthouse's surround sound system as she adjusted the covers on the bed in the guest bedroom. "It's the hap-happiest season of all!" Looking around she nodded her approval before heading down the hall to the master bathroom to grab a few more items. Returning to the room she placed the two fluffy robes against the pillows, and put the slippers on the chest at the foot of the bed before taking the oversized basket of products into the en suite. She positioned it between the two sinks so both Sarah and Cooper could easily access it. "Looks good." Liz said before walking from the room.

Before she could take a seat on the couch there was a knock on the front door. "Mrs. M, the runners are here with the groceries." Lee let her know.

"Okay." Liz gave her approval for the items to be brought in. While her friends in the organization, like Johnny, Francis, and Milo were permitted to use her first name. Most of the guards were not. Liz has tried to get Sonny to change his mind, but he said no. It was a battle Carly fought a couple of times of year as well. Emily had recently joined their team on this matter. Carly suggested the next time they combine forces and approach her husband together saying he could fight them all at the same time.

The guys came in and put the bags on the counter. Elizabeth handed them each a box of brownies as a thank you. She had been baking like mad as the holiday approached. The urge to laugh was strong at the look of surprise on both their faces. The same runners always came to the penthouse, she had finally asked Jason about it and he said both guys were assigned to him. More than likely they would eventually be promoted to Jr. guards and then to senior ones. A lot of guys started out in the organization that way. Generally runners were not really noticed by folks, but Liz appreciated what they did for her.

Alone she started putting away the groceries. Every single thing that Sarah and Cooper liked was going to be on hand for their stay. Her mother was also stocking her pantry for visits over to their house. Was she going overboard? Yup. However having her big sister here for nine whole days was something to celebrate. "It's the most wonderful time of the year!" She was singing again as she came out of the kitchen in time for Lee to knock again.

"Hi." Liz opened the door this time and found Diane on the other side. "Come in."

"How are you?" Diane asked her friend. Everyone had been watching to see if the one year anniversary of Liz's accident would be upsetting for the petite teacher or Jason. They younger couple didn't give any outward sign that was the case. Diane suspected that they had talked about it when they were alone. Everyone else respected their space, and right to keep the matter private. "Is school out for the holidays yet?"

"Today was the last day for this year and I don't have to go back until January." Liz said taking the attorney's coat. "Three whole weeks off to make mischief. Tell your staff to stay close to their phones." She said grinning.

"Duly noted. When does your sister arrive?" Diane asked taking a seat, and declining a beverage.

"Tomorrow." Liz beamed as she turned the music down. "She, Cooper, the kids, and my Gram. Tommy couldn't get time off until after the New Year so he is staying in California. Unsupervised. When are you and Shawn heading out?" Several members of the gang were traveling, which wasn't a surprise. Cody and Lainey left yesterday to spend some time with his folks before heading to visit hers for the actual holiday. Kelly and Francis were also leaving in the next few days to spend the holidays with his family. Her family got Thanksgiving. Monica was grumbling that there wasn't going to be anyone at the house for brunch on Christmas Day.

"We are leaving the snow behind in two days." Diane was looking forward to time spent in paradise. She thought they were going to the island, but instead her guy had surprised her with a new destination. Shawn was taking her to The Turks and Caicaos. It would be somewhere new for the attorney to visit. "I did some shopping, and tonight I will pack so that I'm ready to travel in three days. I need time to second guess what I've packed." Diane said laughing. "Since your sister is arriving tomorrow, my timing for this visit is impeccable. We can do business and get it over with."

"Business?" Elizabeth asked her eyes getting wide as the butterflies in her tummy took flight. That could only mean one thing, and honestly she hadn't expected to hear anything before the holidays ended.

After returning from her honeymoon in late July, Elizabeth set a deadline for herself. She was going to submit one of her books to a publishing house before the end of September. The first thing she did was finish working on her fifth book, having completed the fourth one before the wedding. Then she went back over her notes about just what was needed to make this submission happen.

She needed an agent or lawyer, and Liz was correct that Diane was happy to fill that role. During her research she read a recommendation that the manuscript be professionally edited, so that was handled. Lastly Liz needed to pick a publisher to submit her book to. She had been having trouble with this step. It turned out to be easier than she expected because Diane had a very good friend who worked in one of the bigger publishing houses in New York. One that was already on Liz's list. That didn't guarantee she would get an offer, but it did mean a better chance of her book being read by the right people. Even if she got rejected the professional feedback would be extremely valuable. So on the last day of September the manuscript was handed over.

Diane opened her briefcase and pulled out a large envelope. "I heard back from the publishing house this morning. You were in school, and I had a meeting scheduled with the city council so I couldn't call right away. The publisher would like to offer you a three book deal."

"Really?" Elizabeth asked her voice was higher than normal, so she cleared her throat. "They want to publish my book?" She asked because she couldn't believe it.

Diane had done some research of her own so that if an offer was presented she would know if it was good or not. The numbers on the contract in her hands were right in line with what a new author would receive from the industry. Diane had only done a little negotiating, and that was for the payments that would take place after each book in the series was in the stores.

If Elizabeth's sales hit a certain point for her each of the installments then she would receive an additional bonus from her publisher. The more she sold past that point the bigger her bonus would be. The fact that they readily agreed to her demand made Diane think they really wanted these books.

"They want to publish the first three books you wrote. If those books do well, then they will want to publish even more. Assuming they are willing to part with more money. After you sign this contract, if you like the numbers, then the next step will be for you to approve an illustrator. They would like that to be accomplished by the end of January." Diane explained the next step in the process. "The publishing house is looking for your book to hit the stores in early April."

"Is it a good contract?" Elizabeth wanted to know. What authors got paid was not something she had looked up. It was funny to think that the money didn't really matter. As Jason's wife she had more money than she could ever spend in a lifetime. She was looking forward to making some nice donations to some of the charities that General Hospital supported like AIDS research.

"It is." Diane said smiling holding out the envelope. "I put a plain English breakdown in there as well." She explained after her client took the parcel.

Elizabeth opened the envelope and pulled out the sheet of paper Diane mentioned. The full contract could be read later. As a first time author Liz was getting paid eight thousand dollars upfront for her work. If her book managed to make that advance back then she would receive royalty checks. When an illustrator was selected his or her fee would be deducted from the advance payment. That was on average about two or three thousand dollars per book. So she was really looking at about four or five thousand dollars for the artistic endeavor. Which wasn't at all bad. There were exactly 200 words in her story, and that came out to roughly twenty to twenty-five dollars for each one. Nope, not bad at all.

She was about to speak up when the front door opened and Jason walked in. "Hi." He greeted the two ladies. His lawyer being here was unexpected, and based on the look on his wife's face he didn't know if the visit was a good thing or not. "Is everything okay?"

"They want to publish my book." Elizabeth said starting to smile as the knowledge sank in. "I'm going to be a published author."

Jason's smile rivaled the sun with its brightness. "I knew you could do it." He said opening his arms and holding her tight when she came over. "Congratulations."

"Thanks." Liz said blinking back tears. His support meant the world to her. From the moment he read the first book he had been saying that she was going to get published. "Thank you Diane." Elizabeth turned in her husband's arms to face her friend.

"I didn't do anything. Even with my one contact if the book was bad then this offer wouldn't be coming your way. You're getting published because you created something special. It was, however, my pleasure to help you with the legal stuff." Diane told her friend. "Shall we make this official and have you sign the contract?"

"Yeah." Liz said nodding. "I need to get a pen."

"Actually, I took the liberty of stopping off and picking one up." Diane reached into her briefcase again and pulled out a box with a ribbon around it. "This is not a Christmas gift, this is a congratulations gift. Every writer should have at least one very nice pen."

"Wow." Liz said looking at the writing implement and then back to her friend. In typical fashion she had gone high end. Liz was holding a Mont Blanc pen, they were considered one of the best pen makers on the planet. "Thank you."

"It's a rollerball pen. Not everyone likes fountain pens." Diane preferred the latter when writing by hand, but quite a few folks found them to be hard to write with.

Elizabeth unscrewed the top and flipped to the back page where she signed her name before adding the date. She would put the pen in her desk so it didn't get lost.

Jason was grinning wide watching her. He was also making a mental note to get her one of those fancy penholders. Edward had one on his desk, so he would know what store to go to. "We need to go out and celebrate."

"I like the sound of that. Diane, can you not tell anyone just yet?" Elizabeth requested. She didn't want to share the news at the moment.

"This is attorney/client business so it's considered privileged. But I wouldn't tell anyone even without that. This is your news to share, when and with whom you want." Diane explained putting the papers away. "I do get the joy of being thrilled for you. I'm going to go to the office and send these off to New York. I expect that at some point tomorrow I will get notification that they have been received. Congratulations again." This time that came with a hug. With her business done the redheaded lawyer left them alone.

"Oh my goodness! I'm getting published!" Liz said letting the news really sink in. She found herself back in her husband's arms. "Your support has meant everything to me. I want you to know that."

"When you are rich and famous from your books, will you still have time to cuddle with me on the couch?" He asked being silly.

"I'll definitely pencil that in." Liz said before bringing her lips to his.

"So are you waiting for an actual copy of the book before you tell everyone?" Jason asked scooping her up and heading for the stairs. While they got changed he would call and get a table at The Grille, which was his wife's favorite restaurant. He would also call and set up security.

"You know me so well." Liz said putting her head on his shoulder and relaxing into his warmth.

"We'll have a bigger celebration then." Jason figured his grandmother would host. Or Carly. That could wait though because tonight he was going out with his girl.

* * *

><p>"How is it that you look more beautiful with each passing day?" Jason asked his wife kissing just about where her ring rested.<p>

"Jason." Liz said blushing bright. The man was always saying something amazing to her.

"I really like that dress." He said bobbing his eyebrows up and down.

"I like it too, and I love any chance I get to wear my shoes." Liz replied to his compliment. The V neck deep teal body conscious dress was picked up here in Port Charles during a shopping trip with Emily. The gathered waist was a unique touch that really showed off her figure. It had been love at first site. Since this was a dress she could wear out on a date with her hubby, or to a professional lunch she bought it.

The shoes however were a souvenir from Italy. She had seen them in a store window while they were in Palermo on an overnight trip away from the villa. And she had left them there after putting the price into the conversion app on her phone. Yet when they returned to their villa in Comiso the shoes were on the bed waiting for her.

Jason had taken her hand and escorted her out to their private balcony. Once they were seated he explained that he didn't want her looking at price tags. If she wanted something she should just get it. Then he kissed her to keep her from arguing. Once he was breathing normal again he told her that he knew she wasn't going to shop just for the sake of having something. That she would use the things she bought. He also explained that the shoes she now owned would last a lifetime so in the long run it would be money well spent.

Liz said thank you and accepted the gift of the shoes. She still looked at price tags, and she still didn't go on crazy shopping binges. However she no longer felt guilty for buying higher end items if they fit into her life.

"What mischief are you, Sarah, and Em going to get into?" Jason asked as their dishes were cleared. He was able to snag the smaller of the two private dining rooms because small parties didn't happen much this time of year.

"I'm not sure." Liz said linking their fingers. "They've been chatting without me, and I'm not sure Port Charles is ready for that." She said laughing. The fact that her big sister and best friend were now also friends was just icing on an already sweet cake. Em was even talking about taking a trip out to San Diego because that was a part of California she hadn't seen yet.

"I'll send more guards." Jason replied laughing. "I was thinking that we could get dessert to go." She was too sexy in that dress and he had been on a low simmer all night.

"Smart and handsome." Liz gave him a slow sexy smile. "You are better than anything Santa will bring me."

"We both know you are on the naughty list." Jason liked playing with his girl. She had a sharp mind and witty banter happened often. Which kept him on his toes.

"You weren't complaining last night." She told him in a sexy whisper as she leaned closer. "In fact if my memory serves me correctly you were begging for more." His eyes darkened and she smirked.

"Definitely dessert to go." Jason had very much enjoyed last evening and a repeat would be the perfect way to kick off their holiday break.

* * *

><p>"Hi!" Liz said giving her sister a giant hug. "I'm so glad you are here."<p>

"Me too." Sarah said squeezing Liz tight. When she leaned back she had to wipe away tears. "I'm so excited to have a white Christmas. It's been way to long."

"Mom got the kids all kinds of snow gear, sledding will happen as will snowman building." Liz had enjoyed the shopping trip with her mother. Carolyn was going to donate the items once the kids went home because by the time Sarah brought them back next Christmas they will have outgrown everything. "Hi Gram."

"Hello sweetheart." Audrey gave her granddaughter a hug and a kiss. "You look fantastic."

"Thanks. You are looking rather amazing yourself." Liz loved having her grandmother close.

"Just giving everyone else something to aspire too." Audrey said being cheeky.

Sarah just shook her head while grinning. "Can we talk about the fact that Mom is basically kidnapping my children?" The doctor asked arching a brow. "She said I wasn't welcomed to stay at her house."

Liz had to clear her throat to keep from laughing. Their mother had set up rooms for her grandchildren, and Audrey. Carolyn told Sarah and Cooper to get a hotel room, that there was no more room in the inn. Which wasn't true. "Think of it as a mini vacation." Liz said putting a positive spin on it. "You and Coop will have time to be all lovey with each other without worrying about the kids or feeling guilty. We can stay up and have a late night gab session, because I'm so excited you are staying with us. Also you can go shopping because I know you haven't done it yet."

"I like the thrill of the hunt." Sarah was an unabashed last minute shopper. Finding the perfect gift as you raced against the clock got the blood pumping. "It also keep Cooper's military skills sharp. It's a good cardio workout keeping up with me." Sarah didn't really like to shop, which is how the tradition of the last minute gift dash came about.

"I'm not going with you." Liz said giving her sister a side long look.

"Me either." Audrey let her eldest granddaughter know. "I have already completed my shopping. I've been done since October, because I'm awesome like that." The gifts were in the cargo hold of the plane.

"Emily is going to be my shopping buddy." Sarah revealed what all the calls between the women had been about. "Since I'm not from here a local guide is advisable. I don't know where the stores are or when they close."

"Em is exactly who you want with you. Not only is she also an adrenaline junkie like you, she also throws a mean elbow." Liz nodded before squatting down and opening her arms. "You guys are getting so big." She managed to wrap up all three little ones.

"Is there snow?" Devon wanted to know. She was the older of the two twins and generally spoke for the group.

"There are four inches of snow on the ground." Elizabeth explained to her niece. "Plus we are getting more snow tonight, and later in the week so you will be able to watch it fall."

"Yay!" All three kids grinned and clapped.

"Hi Cooper." Liz gave her brother in-law a hug.

"Hey. No Jason?" He asked looking around for Liz's husband.

"He's at mom and dad's house." She explained picking up her nephew. "Ornaments are being hung. Jason and Steven are the manual labor."

"If I had known that I would have arranged for an earlier flight." Cooper responded with a grin that said he was lying.

Liz snorted. "Don't you worry, there is plenty left to do. They still don't have a tree and dad wants to go to one of those farms where you can cut one down. Cooper you are the only one in the family who knows how to use a chainsaw." Although Liz was betting there was at least one employee on the payroll at Corinthos Morgan who could get the job done if necessary. "I'm pretty sure that is what we will be doing after lunch."

Sarah looked at her sister and both burst out laughing. "Hopefully this will be better than when Steven was fifteen, I was ten, and you were nine."

"When we got lost and dad refused to admit it." Liz nodded as they strapped the kids into the car. Jason had called the garage and had an extra-large SUV sent over for the Barrett family to use during their time in the city. All three car seats fit with no problem. When it was just Sarah and Cooper they could borrow something smaller. "I thought mom was going to kill him right there in the car."

"You mean when we passed the sign letting us know we were close to crossing into Utah." Liz couldn't help it she was laughing out loud now. They had been hours away from where the tree farm was. They ended up returning home with no tree because by the time they got to the right place the farm was closed for the day. The next day their dad had gone out, alone, to get the tree.

"I remember that trip. I was thrilled to have missed it." Audrey was in New York with her late husband Steve by that point.

"I'm getting in my car. Gram you can ride with me and Ritchie. You guys can follow us. The car does have GPS though and all the important addresses have been programmed in. Tap the horn when you are ready to go." Liz said before linking her arm with her grandmother's and heading over to where Ritchie was waiting with the engine already running so the car would be warm.

Cooper nodded getting behind the wheel and making all the adjustments. When he was ready they pulled out caravan style heading for the Webber home.

* * *

><p>"Okay, we need the big boxes with the tree ornaments. They are in the shed out back." Carolyn said as the dishes from lunch were gathered up. All three of her children were sitting around the table, the joy at that was so huge it had been enough to reduce her to tears. Jeff found her in her office sobbing.<p>

"I'll go get them." Jason volunteered standing up.

"I'll help." Cooper also stood up.

"I'll answer my pager." Steven was on call and had made it through putting up the house decorations with no issue. "When I'm done, if I don't have to leave, I'll help haul stuff into the house."

"We got it. If you injure yourself my mom and dad will kill me." Jason told his brother in-law. All afternoon the mob boss had been worrying about that. His mother in particular could be scary.

"My hands are insured." Steven said with a grin as his beeper went off.

"I'll show you where the shed is." Jason said as both men donned their winter jackets.

"Since it's just us, I want to take a minute to say thank you. In person." Cooper looked over at the blonde. "Your help is greatly appreciated."

Jason just shrugged. "We are family. That is what we do."

Cooper nodded. "You've had to keep a really big secret from your wife." It was basically a lie by omission.

"I'll be forgiven when everything comes out." Jason said smiling wide. Forgiven and possibly rewarded. "So don't worry about that." He unlocked the shed. "One of my guys went out this morning and picked up a chainsaw." Jason told Cooper the make and model. The mob boss wanted to change topics.

"I can use that." The former solider said following Jason into the large shed. It was extremely organized which wasn't surprising. All the ladies of the family seemed to be whizzes at the ability to find a place for everything without incurring clutter. Sarah liked to brag it was her superpower.

"My role on the trip is to keep both Steven and Jeff on task." Jason looked over at Cooper who was grinning wider.

"It will be easier to keep the kids corralled." Cooper gave up and laughed.

"I figured as much. The first clue came when Carolyn said I could use force if necessary." Jason pointed to a grouping of large red bins. "These are what we need."

Cooper only grunted slightly as he hefted one and headed back to the house.

* * *

><p>"Its official, I like your family more than mine. Except Lila. No one trumps my grandmother." Jason was putting on his shoes while Elizabeth did her make up.<p>

"Why?" She asked trying not to laugh and stick her eyeliner in her eye.

"We get to wear jeans to family dinners." He said smiling wider. It was just a fact of life that eating at the mansion meant dressing nice. Not a full on suit, although his father and grandfather often had them on, but no denim. Even though Jason would never admit it that was the main reason he only went to the mansion for the evening meal about twice a month. "It's Christmas Eve, so dinner would be even more formal than normal because everyone is going to church after. I would need to put on a tie."

"My father would cry if he had to sit around the table with a tie on. He once told me that the best part of the day was coming home and getting to put on his jeans. Or his shorts in the warmer weather." Liz explained why all meals in the Webber house were casual. "When I was growing up Christmas morning we all sat around the table in our pajamas. That practice didn't stop until the first year Steven had a girlfriend stay with her. It would have just been awkward."

"I don't think I've ever worn pajamas out of the bedroom if there are other people around." Jason stopped in the middle of putting on his motorcycle boots to think. Even this week with house guests over he had been fully dressed before leaving the master suit. He slept in sweats and t-shirt, when he wore anything to bed, but he felt it would be disrespectful to Sarah for her to see him like that.

Liz just laughed at her hubby. "My mom had lunch with your mom today just to make sure it was okay that you were coming over. Parents expect to look down the table and see their children on Christmas Eve." Carolyn was not hiding how excited she was to have all the kids together this holiday. She reported that Monica was thrilled, and a little jealous. AJ was spending the holiday in Europe this year with his wife's family.

"Really. I called my mother earlier in the week, she said it was fine. Especially since we will all be over at the mansion tomorrow." Jason said shrugging. "This will make having to share us for holidays really easy."

"It will. Thanksgiving isn't even an issue because Sonny hosts that." Liz pointed out. The Qs had a bad history with that holiday so they were happy to let Sonny have it. The mob boss made the best bird she'd ever eaten in her life. "I was thinking that we could maybe have everyone over at some point. We've never had a family dinner here."

"I'm not sure we would all fit." Jason said with rueful grin. Family for them wasn't bound by DNA. "It might be time to start looking at houses."

She was done with her makeup, she was keeping it light tonight, and came to sit next to him. "If we move soon then Johnny and Nadine can move in here if they want. They need more space because their shared home office is going to need to be converted to a nursery. They don't want a house at this point. Or I guess they could move to a bigger unit in the building, besides the penthouse." Liz said thinking out loud.

"The three bedroom units are all taken." Jason let her know. There was only one floor with apartments that large. Johnny and Nadine had lived apart until just before she got pregnant, so he hadn't wanted one of the larger units. "I could ask Diane to pull some listings when she returns from vacation."

"That is a good time line." She didn't think it would take her and Jason long to find something they agreed on. "Would you rather look into building something for us?"

"I'd rather not." He said being honest. "We went through building and rehab with the villa. I'd like something as close to move in ready as possible." Jason knew that Elizabeth would want to put her personal touch on anything they purchased, but he didn't want to deal with major construction. Things with the villa had gone smoothly, but it seemed like every other day they were getting calls to make some kind of decision. He was excited to take this next step with her, finding a place their family would grow.

"I'm okay with that." Liz said leaning forward and giving him a kiss. Whatever they bought would be the place their children grew up. That thought gave her a thrill. She looked over at the clock. "We should get moving so that we aren't late. Sarah said she'd like to visit with her children before dinner." Liz told him laughing. The kids were not at all upset over the extended sleepover. It could have something to do with the fact that they were being spoiled rotten.

"Just so you know. I'm not letting your mom take our kids for a week." Jason told his wife.

Liz just grinned. "Sarah is not as upset as she is pretending. Yesterday when we were wrapping presents she said it was nice to have personal time. Gram or their nanny is usually providing the child care when that happens. Sarah has also been loving watching mom with the kids."

"I'm still not letting your mom take our kids for a week." Jason said before leaning in for a kiss. "Mainly because then my mom will want a week too. I'm okay with weekends though."

"I'll keep that in mind." Liz said laughing. "You guys ready to go?"

"All set." Sarah said grabbing her coat. "I've forgotten what my kids look like."

"You can just look at one of the many pictures on your phone. You know the ones mom had been sending you." Liz couldn't help but add.

"Ha ha." Sarah rolled her eyes as they walked out.

* * *

><p>"Carolyn that was an amazing dinner." Jeff said smiling down the table at his wife. "The perfect way to celebrate our first family holiday in our new home."<p>

"Thank you sweetie." Carolyn just blushed bright. She got redder when she noticed that their kids were smiling at them. "Olivia was a huge help. I couldn't have done it without her."

"It was my pleasure." Olivia loved cooking for large family gatherings.

"This is the first of what I hope will be many family holidays in this house." Jeff looked around the table at his children, their spouses, and his grandchildren. "Now that dinner is done I think it's time for a family tradition."

"Passing out on the couch in a food coma?" Steven asked being a smartass. Sarah elbowed him in the ribs. "Mom, Sarah hit me."

Sarah just stuck her tongue out at her older brother.

Carolyn took a sip of her wine to keep from laughing. Her kids generally reverted to childhood roles at some point when they were all together. "I think your father means watching It's a Wonderful Life."

"Really?" Liz asked in a tone that indicated she would rather do anything else. "Maybe it's time to start new traditions."

"They have made several more Christmas movies in the last few decades." Steven let his father know. "Any of which I would rather watch."

"I'd be happy to do the dishes. Of which I hope there are many." Sarah told her parents.

"What is It's A Wonderful Life?" Jason leaned over and whispered in his wife's ear.

"It's a Frank Capra movie. The main character George Bailey tries to kill himself, and is rescued by an Angel. Then George wishes he had never been born. So the Angel, Clarence I think, shows him how that wish will affect everyone George loves." Liz gave a quick recap. "It's not a bad movie, but my dad forced us to watch it every year growing up. We are all sick of it. You would probably like it."

"If I recall correctly there are several cartoons on this evening that I'm sure the little ones would find more interesting." Audrey said coming to her grandchildren's rescue. "However Jeff I'd be happy to watch the movie with you in the den." Her son got his love of the movie from his late father.

"It's a date." Jeff smiled at his mother.

"Before everyone leaves the table." Sarah spoke up. Under the table she reached for her husband's hand. "I just wanted to say, how great it is to have us all together." She said reaching for a napkin as the tears started.

Liz reached for a tissue too because yeah she was tearing up.

"Since we are all together Cooper and I have some news we'd like to share." Sarah said looking over at her husband. "We're pregnant!"

"No way." Steven said giving his sister a hug, as the rest of the family gathered around them.

"Congratulations." Liz said holding her sister tight. "I can't wait to come out to California to see my new niece or nephew." That made Sarah start crying harder.

Cooper just gathered his wife close. Her emotions had been running high since before they found out about their newest one. It was the fact that everything was making her cry was one of the clues they needed to go get a blood test done. He would make the next announcement now so that Sarah could calm down. Her parents and grandmother were waiting to hug her.

"Did I say something wrong?" Liz asked worried.

"No." Cooper said rubbing his wife's back. "You won't have to come out to California to see the baby. We are moving to Port Charles."

"You are?" Carolyn asked wiping away tears. "Wait. Is Sarah the new attending surgeon at General Hospital?" The staff was buzzing with news that a full time replacement for Leo Julian had been hired. No one knew who it was and neither Monica nor Alan would give any hints.

Sarah just nodded against her husband's chest. She needed to calm down so she didn't scare the kids. Who at the moment were paying more attention to the cake Olivia was setting down than anything else. Her sister in-law really was just what Steven needed.

"I'm going to get to work with two of my children." Carolyn said as her daughter came over to get a hug. Jeff put his arms around them both.

"What will you be doing?" Jeff asked his son in-law. Cooper's business was based in San Diego. Sarah wouldn't ask him to give that up so she could move east.

"I sold my share of the business to my partner." Cooper had walked away with a lot of money. Enough that he didn't have to work for a while if he didn't want to. "I made a deal with Edward Quartermaine to buy a security company that ELQ was looking to get rid of." Edward just didn't have the contacts needed to break into that sector. Cooper did and he already had several signed contracts from clients. "I've been running things remotely for the past several weeks. Jason helped get me in contact with his grandfather after I read about what ELQ had planned in the paper." Sarah hadn't even wanted to talk about moving until Cooper told her that he would be fine. She loved him that much.

"You knew?" Liz turned shocked eyes to her husband.

"I did." Jason admitted. "I really didn't do much though, I just made a phone call." He told Edward to answer when Cooper called. Since they had only met once, during the wedding this summer, Edward might not remember Sarah's husband.

"Thank you." Liz wrapped her arms around her husband.

"I knew having your sister here full time would make you happy." Jason said giving his girl a squeeze. "Cooper and Sarah wanted to be the ones to tell the family."

Liz just nodded. He didn't have to explain why he kept quiet. She already knew.

"You can stay here while you look for a house." Carolyn told her eldest daughter. She knew they would move eventually, but to be able to spoil Sarah for a bit would be nice.

"Thanks mom. We sold the house before we came out. Everything is in storage." Sarah said taking the glass of water Steven was holding out.

"I can arrange to have everything brought here." Jason let them know.

"Thank you." Cooper knew that nothing would be broken when it arrived in New York.

"Gram, are you going to be okay out there with just Tommy?" Steven wanted to know.

"Well." Audrey said starting to smile. "I refuse to have an entire country between me and my great-grandchildren. So I'm moving to New York as well." She said sharing her news.

"Mom is that wise? I would love to have you here." Jeff worried about her. Losing his dad had been devastating and he was aware that the older his mother got the less time they would have together. He and Carolyn had to think long and hard before deciding to move to New York and not California. "But you moved west for your health."

"I moved because my blood pressure was up. The doctor said I needed to lead a less stressful lifestyle. I also moved because staying here hurt." Audrey said being honest. "I had Elizabeth, who always made me smile." She said looking at her youngest grandchild. "However this was where your father died, and everywhere I looked I could see him. I needed space. My blood pressure is under control, and I miss having places that bring back good memories. I plan on staying retired, so that will help with the blood pressure issues. I've also made a good friend in Lila. So my social life will be busy I'm sure. I need to be active."

"Have you sold your condo?" Steven wanted to know.

"I did, and I made a mint." Audrey said laughing. "I'm hoping there is room on that truck that Jason is sending for my items."

"Absolutely." Jason promised her. His grandmother would be thrilled to learn Audrey was moving east. "I can also offer you a unit in my building if you'd like. We have housekeeping." He looked down at his wife after she gave his a squeeze to say a silent thank you.

"Done. I can't pass up an offer to be surrounding by all those beefcakes." Audrey said laughing louder at the horrified look on her son's face.

"Let me know when you want to do the walkthrough, and I'll have Trent waiting to escort you around." Jason promised. Elizabeth would enjoy sharing space with her grandmother.

"We will be neighbors for a few months. Jason and I have decided to buy a house." Liz told everyone. "We would offer you the penthouse Sarah but we want to ask a friend of ours first."

"Don't worry about it. My monsters need a yard." She said poking fun at her children. "This is probably the best Christmas ever." The middle Webber child declared.

"Even better than the time dad set the turkey on fire." Steven said and everyone started laughing.

"You'll have to tell me that one." Jason said to his wife.

"Come on, everyone get coffee and gather in the living room. I'll tell you all about the bird that burned." Audrey said with a smirk. "I'm really the only one who can do that story justice."

"True. The sound Gram makes to imitate the turkey going up is spot on." Steven said giving Sarah a kiss on the temple. "Congrats."

The adults headed to the kitchen, while Audrey took the kids to the living room. "My whole family is going to be here in Port Charles." Liz said as they took a moment to themselves in the empty dining room. "I guess Santa decided I was good after all."

Jason wiped away the last of his wife's tears. He was happy for her. This was her dream. "I'm looking forward to more family dinners in jeans." He said making her laugh. "Merry Christmas baby."

"Merry Christmas to you too." She leaned up and kissed him. Best holiday ever.

* * *

><p>Thanks for the reviews!<p> 


	19. Chapter 19

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Liason102 for the edit!

* * *

><p>My Valentine<p>

"What are you guys doing for Valentine's Day?" Carly asked Liz as she put down a tile. Tonight their monthly meeting of the Mahjong club was taking place at the Corinthos home. Since coming back from the island they made sure to get together, as a whole, at least once a month. With several members of this group part of the hospital staff that wasn't always easy. The fact that they didn't have a fixed date for this gathering helped a lot.

Around the room several ladies looked over. "Yeah, what amazing thing is my brother going to do for you this year?" Emily asked with a cheeky grin. "I need to make sure Dante knows."

"We aren't doing anything on Valentine's Day. It's a Sunday this year." Liz told her friends trying to figure out what move she wanted to make next. Carly was a formidable opponent.

"You're off on Monday." Nadine pointed out. She wasn't currently playing. At the moment she was in a comfy armchair with her feet up. Sitting at the table for any length of time made the pain in her back worse. She was any day now and ready to give birth. "It's President's Day so the schools are closed which means you can stay out late. I know Sonny won't care if Jason takes off." The nurse stated. "Did he run out of ideas?" She asked laughing.

"You guys should go up to your cabin." Kelly suggested to her friend. "There won't be any snow so driving won't be an issue." She and Francis had spent New Year's Eve and Day there because the Morgans were generous, and they allowed all their family and friends to enjoy the home.

"We are using the cabin this weekend." Sarah said from her table where she was sitting with Kelly, Emily, and Diane. She was a newbie to the game, but enjoyed getting together with the ladies. The invite to hang out had been happily accepted, because it didn't have to be extended. Sarah was aware that she was the only lady in the room tonight whose guy didn't work for Corinthos Morgan. Even Olivia, who was visiting her folks at the moment, couldn't say that because Sarah suspected that Steven provided medical care for the guys off the books. She wasn't going to ask about that though. "I'm super excited because not only is this my first weekend off since starting at the hospital, but it's a four day weekend. I just hope my parents didn't trash the place." Carolyn and Jeff had been up there for a week on vacation.

"That's right you have a four day weekend too." Carly had just taken over Lila's seat on the PCA board so she knew the schedule by heart. Since Michael would be attending when he was old enough the Quartermaine matriarch thought Carly would be an asset to the room. It always paid to have a parent on hand when making school policy. "Your cabin is out but you can go to the Quartermaine lake house." Another place they all had access too, only this was further upstate.

"The Walking Dead returns from its winter hiatus on Sunday." Liz said placing her tile. The fact that Carly was now frowning announced the move was a good one. "We've been waiting for almost two months for it come back." Both she and Jason were hardcore fans of the show. "We will be home with our feet up finding out who makes it and who doesn't."

"You're not celebrating Valentine's Day because of a television show?" Diane asked not understanding that at all. "At least go to brunch." This was one of the few times of the year the Quartermaines didn't host the mid-morning meal.

"You guys make it sound like if Jason doesn't do something for me on this one day the world will stop spinning. I'd like to remind you that my guy does stuff for me all year round. He's very romantic." Liz looked over at her friends. Lainey was still trying to decide what move to make. "And it's not just a television show, it's the only television show. We have not missed an episode yet." They both had watched on their own from the beginning and after they began dating they started watching together.

"That still leaves the rest of the weekend. This is a big day for you guys. It's the anniversary of your first date, and it's when you got engaged." Emily said going over the couple's romantic history. "So yes we expect you to do something big. Like announce a pregnancy." Emily was ready for them to have a baby.

"Let us celebrate our first wedding anniversary before you have me pushing a stroller." Liz gave her best friend a look. "You are just trying to get Monica off your back." Which wasn't true. Monica wasn't pressuring either one of them to have kids. She was just happy Emily and Jason found people to love. "I'm sure we will do something." Her guy was too romantic to just let the day pass, and she would want to mark it at well. "We are not exchanging gifts though. I'm not sure either one of us could top last year."

"Milo told me to pack, but he hasn't said where we are going." Georgie told the room. "I thought it might be the cabin, but if Sarah is going my guess was wrong. Has anyone heard anything?"

Everyone shook their heads no, but not everyone was being honest. Liz and Carly both knew what was happening. They knew because their guys had helped Milo with his plans. The law student also had a four day weekend and he had arranged for them to spend the weekend in Puerto Rico. Milo had insisted on paying for this trip even though he could stay for free so Sonny and Jason both had thrown in a lot of extras for the couple. Including cabaret tickets and spa time. Both of which would have been hard to get during the holiday weekend. The young couple was also flying down on Sonny's private jet. Milo was nervous because he'd never done anything this big for a woman before and he wanted it to be perfect.

"Leyla you guys have any plans you'd like to share?" Liz asked her friend. The nurse had been fairly quiet most of the night, and at the moment was sitting next to Nadine.

"Marco and I are staying in because I really like it when he cooks for me." The nurse said smiling. The relationship was going great, and she was thinking that after dating quite a few frogs that her prince was finally here. Not that she was looking to be rescued, because she wasn't, the man just treated her like she was the most important thing in his life. That left a girl spoiled. "I do have some other news to share." The nurse told the room. "I'm pretty sure Nadine is in labor."

"What?" Kelly immediately abandoned her game. "Are you having contractions?"

"No." Nadine said shaking her head. "My back is killing me though."

"Lower back?" The ob/gyn asked her friend and patient. "How long has that been the case?" Kelly said pushing up her friend's maternity top and placing her hands on Nadine's stomach. "Your tummy is rock hard. Good catch Leyla." The doctor had fought hard to get the nurse to change specialties because she said Leyla was a natural with the pregnant mommies.

"For months." Nadine said because it was true. "It's been more bothersome since early this morning." Nadine said trying to stay calm. "But no contractions in my abdomen."

"Considering your tummy is so hard I think Leyla might be right. I'm guessing you are in the early stage of labor. You've probably been having contractions but don't feel them yet because of the pain in your back." Kelly said grinning. Under her hands Nadine's stomach tightened and then relaxed. It was subtle and only years of medical practice gave the doctor the skill to feel it. "You just had a contraction. This could be Braxton-Hicks but the back pain makes me think not. The only way to know for sure is for us to keep an eye on you."

"I got it Kelly. You can go back to your game." Leyla had been nervous about switching to Kelly's service, but she was happy she had. So it wasn't surprising she picked up on the clues after chatting with Nadine. A few key questions during their conversation gave Leyla all the information she needed. Still her colleague's praise felt nice. Kelly was great to work with because she never hesitated to let you know when you were getting the job right.

"Should I call Johnny?" Liz asked moving to her friend's side.

"Not yet. I probably have hours still." Nadine looked at Kelly for guidance. The ob/gyn nodded her agreement to the last part of that statement. "He's going to panic when you do make that call." Her guy had been in over protection mode since she fainted. The nurse stood up.

"Where are you going?" Carly wanted to know.

"I want to get out of the nice chair in case my water breaks." Nadine didn't want to ruin any furniture.

"I hate that chair, so feel free to stay there." Carly didn't want her friend worried about that. Plus her statement was true. The chair was a holdover from before she and Sonny got together and it didn't fit with any of the other decor in the living room.

"We are a long way from that point." Kelly told her friend. "But I'm not going to stop you from walking around. That often helps speed up labor."

"I'll go with her. We'll roam the halls and peek in closets." Leyla volunteered for the first shift. She figured in about an hour someone would come relieve her. "There has to be a ghost around here somewhere."

"Everyone back to your tables." Kelly said to her friends. "Us staring is only going to make Nadine more nervous."

"I'll be right back." Carly told the room. "Nadine should have some ice chips so she stays hydrated." As she headed to the kitchen Carly was saying a silent prayer that everything went okay, she was guessing everyone else was doing the same.

* * *

><p>"This explains why I haven't been very hungry lately." Nadine told Liz. The teacher had come out a few moments ago to relieve Carly, who had relieved Leyla. It was nine o'clock and Nadine had been walking the halls for about two hours now. She was having contractions strong enough to be felt, but they were still pretty far apart and not even close to being regular. "Johnny was going to bring up my lack of appetite at our next office visit." Which was on Monday.<p>

"Do you want more ice chips?" Liz held up the empty cup in her hand. They were about to pass the kitchen so it was a good time for refill.

"May as well get some." Nadine would also take a small break from walking, Kelly had said that was fine. "So do you guys want kids?"

"We do." Liz said pushing the button that would dispense the crushed ice.

"Hopefully this won't scare you off." Nadine said grinning.

"You've been really calm. I remember when Sarah had her first baby. She was a raving mess." Liz recalled laughing. "I thought she was going to kill Cooper. If that didn't change my mind then nothing will." Liz had flown to Chicago a week before the due date to be on hand for the birth, and to help out with household duties afterwards.

"Doctors do tend to make the worst patients." Nadine said rubbing her stomach.

"Not nurses though?" Liz wanted to know.

"Nope. We are perfect patients." Nadine said knowing that wasn't always the case. She sucked in a breath and looked at the clock. "Twenty minutes. Which was the same length of time between the last set."

"We should probably tell Kelly." Liz said as she got out her phone and sent a text. "Can I talk you into calling your guy now? If you wait too much longer he's going to be really angry with you." He would want to be here walking the halls with her.

"You're right, it's time to call him. A least I don't have to worry about him driving over." Nadine said carefully getting off the stool. "Another circuit of the downstairs hall?"

"Okay." Liz had the ice ready. "Here's my phone. His number is in my contacts."

"Thanks." Nadine said taking the device.

* * *

><p>Since the ladies were all at Sonny's place, the men decided to hang out at Jason and Liz's place. This was the first time he was hosting the guys at their new house. The changes that Elizabeth wanted had been completed two weeks after they signed the papers on the second of January, and they moved from the Towers then. One week after that they held a housewarming party with their extended family. The four bedroom, three bathroom country style home had been the fourth that they looked at. The minute they walked in they both knew this was where they would spend their lives together.<p>

They didn't just pick the Morgan home to break it in though, the game area in the basement offered the most options for entertainment. They could play pool, play cards, watch sports, or use the gaming system. Next month when the ladies were here, the guys would be at Francis and Kelly's place because it was his turn to host.

"You nervous?" Sonny asked Milo who hadn't said a word all night. The young guard was actually going to skip the gathering but had been urged to come hang out. His friends just wanted to check on him.

"A little." Milo admitted to his bosses. Jason was in the kitchen as well. The three of them were cleaning up from dinner. Some of the other guys had done set up. "I've never given anyone a ring before. I just want her to know that I'm serious. Her last guy treated her like shit, and I want her to know she's safe with me."

"We get it." Jason told his friend. "They trust us, and we want them to know that we won't violate that trust."

Milo just nodded. "I was thinking of asking Georgie to go to Palermo when I go home to visit this summer. I'd like for my parents to meet her."

"We will be in Italy at our villa." They were spending the entire summer and he was extremely excited about that. Uninterrupted time with Elizabeth was always a good thing. "If you guys fly in you are welcome to come visit us." Jason extended the invitation knowing his wife she would love to host them. Also if the visit wasn't going well this would give the other couple an out.

"Thanks." Milo thought Georgie might like to see more of Sicily than just Palermo.

Francis walked into the kitchen and all three men looked up. "Nadine called, she's in labor. Marco and Johnny just left, and I thought you guys might like to head over as well." All the guys were not going to descend on the house, but both Sonny and Jason could keep Johnny calm if it became necessary.

"I'll finish clean up." Milo told his bosses.

"I'll help." Francis figured someone else would come in as well.

"You guys don't have to leave." Jason told Francis. There was no need for anyone else to rush off. Jason knew the guys wouldn't wreck the place. "I'll send out updates."

"When we get closer I'll head over to the hospital." Francis figured his wife wouldn't be home anytime soon. He would call later and see if she needed him to bring her anything.

"Do we know how far into labor she is? I would guess not too far, things must have gotten started at my place so they probably have a while yet." Sonny said smiling and popping out his dimples. He remembered when Carly went into labor.

"No info other than that she was in labor. We knew it would be soon." Francis was also grinning. Johnny hadn't had anything stronger than soda tonight because he didn't want to be impaired if anything happened. Looked like he made the right call.

"Let's head out." Jason said walking to the door, he would drive them over because Sonny had been driven over by his guard.

* * *

><p>"Hey." Jason walked over to where his wife was sitting talking to Sarah. "I passed Nadine in the hall. She and Johnny are walking."<p>

"It helps move labor along." Sarah provided not sure what Jason knew about pregnant women.

"I know. I walked the halls of the hospital with Carly when she told Sonny to leave her alone." Jason said laughing. "She was not happy about being in pain. Kelly said it was too soon for the epidural, and Carly took all that anger out on him." By the time she was ready to give birth Sonny had been forgiven which was good because Jason wasn't going into the delivery suite.

"Good, you'll be ready when you need to walk with me while I'm in labor." Sarah said with a cheeky grin. "I'm going to get something to drink, either of you need anything?"

"We're good." Liz told her sister. "How is Johnny?" She asked her husband.

"Terrified but steady. He won't fall apart." Jason took Sarah's seat and when he was next to his girlfriend he gave her a soft kiss. "How was your night going?"

"I was about to crush everyone at my table when Leyla said Nadine was in labor." Liz told him. "I'll have to wait until next month to defend my title."

"It's not a blood sport." He said laughing. His girl was competitive.

"You remember August. In my family we take our winning seriously." Liz reminded him of the week they spent in California.

"I feel lucky to be alive." Jason said with a straight face. "You ready to be a godmother?"

"I'm so excited." Liz said clapping. "You would think I wasn't already a godmother." The twins were her godchildren.

"We'll get to finally learn if our godchild is a boy or a girl." Jason was impatient about that. When it came time for them to have a child he was learning the gender at the first opportunity. If Elizabeth didn't want to know that was fine, but he was finding out.

"Sarah won't torture you. She will not only find out but she will make sure we all know." Liz explained how her sister thought. Their friends did indeed know the gender of their child, and they had a name picked out, but they weren't sharing either. "Everyone is giving me grief because I told them we aren't doing anything for Valentine's Day."

"We are doing something for Valentine's. We just aren't doing it on Sunday. The Walking Dead is on." Jason pointed out. "Assuming the baby is here by then."

"Nadine will have a C-section before Kelly lets her be in labor for that long." Liz said looking over as their friends walked by the doorway again.

"Sonny asked Johnny and Nadine to just stay here until it's time to go to the hospital. I figured we were staying as well. I can send for clean clothes for us tomorrow, or I can run back to the house." Everyone was doing their part to make sure the couple was supported. "Marco went to get Nadine's bag which is at the Towers and he should be back soon. So for now we just wait."

"Thanks. I would worry if we went home." Liz leaned forward and gave Jason another kiss. "Let me go check and see how they are doing." It was pretty much the only thing any of them could do.

* * *

><p>"Babe." Jason gently woke his wife up. It was three in the morning and the house was quiet. Most of the ladies went home, but they and Kelly had stayed. Elizabeth had claimed a couch and they had cuddled up for part of the night. About a minute ago Kelly had come over to wake him up.<p>

"Hmm." Liz responded to the hand shaking her. She was warm and snuggled up with Jason. Moving was not something she wanted to do.

"Nadine is ready to go to the hospital." Jason said hoping that might entice her to open her eyes.

"Really?" Liz gave him a sleepy smile.

"Yeah. Kelly said we should go home and rest because Nadine still has a way to go."

"Then why is she going in?" Liz asked confused.

"Nadine's water broke." Jason told his wife. "So Kelly is going to admit her so the staff can keep watch. She is also worried because Nadine has been awake for a while and Kelly is talking about possibly giving her an epidural so she can get some sleep."

"If Nadine is tired she might not be able to push hard enough." Liz remembered something similar happening when the twins were born. "Okay. Let's go home and wait for the call that the baby is coming." Liz sat up. "Should we tell anyone we are leaving?"

"It's fine." Jason said also getting to his feet. "Hop on." He said presenting his back and when she did he gave her a piggy back ride out to the car.

* * *

><p>"Oh man, he's adorable." Liz said looking at the newest member of their family. "He's going to break hearts. Congrats you guys."<p>

"What's his name?" Jason was standing behind Elizabeth and looking over her shoulder at the tiny person. At the moment he was sleeping and wrapped tightly in his blankets.

Johnny was stretched out in the lounger in the room. He wasn't going to get up for visitors, but if his son or his girl needed him then he would move. Jason and Liz were the first of what would be many visitors. "We had picked out a name and when we looked at him we realized it wouldn't suit him."

"So we went back to the list of names we both liked." Nadine told their friends. "The problem is that we ran into the same issue we had before."

"We can't agree on what to call him." Johnny said with a grin. He was being stubborn and so was his girlfriend. "So for now he is baby boy O'Brien."

"We have agreed that he will have a name before we leave the hospital. Having a deadline will help." Nadine was also grinning. "It took us seven months to agree to Riley, so I was really hoping that worked."

Jason didn't understand what they meant by the baby not looking like the name they picked. Sonny and Carly had said something similar. They had four names ready to go, but wanted to see what the baby looked like first. As far as Jason was concerned you picked a name and called it a day. Looking over he saw Elizabeth smiling at him, and without words being exchanged he knew she knew what he was thinking.

"You'll figure it out." Liz told her friends. "We're going to go so that everyone else can peek in. Congrats again, he really is beautiful."

"Dinner is coming from Polluzo's. Call when you are ready." Jason told his friend. It was almost six now and the baby had come at five. That meant neither one of them had eaten in a while so they should be hungry.

"Thanks." Johnny said waving from his chair and Liz hugged on Nadine. She came over and hugged on him too before they walked from the room.

"Sonny, you and Carly can go visit." Jason said when they stopped in the waiting area before heading home. "So should I cancel our reservations or do you still want to go? Should we stay here now that the baby has come? Would we be bad friends if we don't sit by the phone waiting for them to call us?"

"Nadine knows that we are leaving. I told her about our plans when we were doing a circuit of the hall at Greystone. She gave me her blessing to go." Liz was looking forward to what they had planned. They would still be home in time to watch their show. "If we go home and grab our bags we can still head out."

"I'll call and have the crew get the plane ready." Jason said as they pulled into the garage.

"We can still drive. I'll split it with you." Liz told him, that was the original plan.

"If we fly we have more time together." Jason explained. They were supposed to leave this morning, so they already lost a day of course there was a way around that he was already planning something. He liked surprising his wife, and he was about to make a last minute change to their plans which would do just that.

* * *

><p>"I am super excited to go explore Space for Life." Liz was smiling as she pulled her bright yellow cable knit over her head. She was in blue jeans for today's outing and her hiking boots were by the bed waiting to be slipped on. Whenever she and Jason explored somewhere new comfy, and sturdy shoes, were a must. With it being cold out the sweater would help her stay warm.<p>

Jason was sitting on the couch in the bedroom of their suite enjoying the sight of his wife getting ready for their day out. The weekend trip to Montreal had been a spur of the moment decision. They really hadn't planned on doing anything this year, but last week he had been watching television when a documentary on the Canadian city came on. His wife hadn't ever been in Canada and it was relatively quick drive, and an even shorter flight, from Port Charles. So he suggested they come and she agreed.

"What time do we need to be back?" Liz sat down and slipped on her footwear.

"The gallery opening is at seven, how long will you need to get ready?" Jason wasn't expecting to hear a big number.

"About thirty minutes or so." Liz's dress was in the closet. She had handed it to the bellman to be steamed when they checked in and it had been returned to them just before their breakfast arrived. "I'm keeping my hair and makeup simple."

"We should come back around four then. That way we can have something to eat." Jason knew at events like this they generally served tiny portions of food. "Space for Life, followed by a stroll down St. Paul's Street, and then the art show." He said going over their itinerary for the day. "Then tomorrow we can go see the Basilique Notre Dame and visit Mile End."

"We have to make sure to fit in a smoked meat sandwich." Liz interjected grinning. "My travel guide said that is a must."

"Then we have to do it." Jason said grinning. He loved it when she got excited about doing things.

"After Mile End we will come back to the hotel, pack, check out, and head home." Liz was looking forward to the next day and a half.

Jason just grinned it was time for his surprised. "After Mile End we are going to visit the Museum of Fine Arts. Then have an early dinner at Dieu du Ciel, and sample some of their beers. After that we will return to the room where I'm sure we can find a way to pass the time until our show comes on. On Monday I'd like to explore Old Montreal with you, and get up to mischief until we fly home around dinner time."

Liz smiled wider with each word. "You are too good to me." He had extended their stay.

"There is no such thing." Jason was happy he could do this for her. "I figure while we are doing all those fun things we will be checking in with Johnny and Nadine to see if they named the kid yet."

"That sounds like the perfect weekend. We should get started on that." Liz said getting up. "I like you in this sweater." She told him as they walked to where their coats were waiting. While she was on Thanksgiving break they had one of their rare arguments. He had come home and when she hugged him she had been horrified at how cold his skin was. So she laid down the law, long sleeves in the winter and a heavier coat. Jason insisted he was fine, and that was enough to start the disagreement. The next day she had simply gone out and purchased a selection of warmer shirts and a better jacket. When she returned to the penthouse she packed up the t shirts and his leather jacket and sent them to storage. That was enough to cause a full blown argument.

Jason got to see just how stubborn his wife could be because she refused to back down. It was only when he realized that she was genuinely worried that he was going to damage his skin that he relented, some. He hated the sweatshirts that she picked up, but the sweaters were not too bad. When he showed up at Thanksgiving dinner at Sonny's, his partner had admitted to worrying that Jason was going to make himself sick by being under dressed. Lila echoed that sentiment and Jason decided to wear the long sleeved shirts.

"That isn't one I picked up." Liz had gotten black and dark grey sweaters. The one her husband was currently wearing was dark blue.

"I figured I should know what size I am as well as what I do and don't like. So I went to Wyndham's and picked up a few more sweaters. Blue, green, and dark brown." Because he knew she liked it when he wore colors other than black.

Liz just gave him a kiss to say thank you. He held open her brown winter coat before slipping into his black lined biker jacket. This had never been the object of contention, he liked this item of clothing from the moment he saw it hanging in the closet back home. "Ready to go exploring?"

"I certainly am." Liz said before stepping into the hall where their guards would be waiting.

* * *

><p>They hoped on the train to the Olympic Park section of the city to start their day of tourist activities. According to the concierge it was the easiest way to get there, and they wouldn't have to bother with parking. Space for Life wasn't one thing to see, but four prominent natural museums that offered hours of education. The Montreal Biodome, housed in the former velodome, would allow them to walk through a replicas of diverse eco-systems such as a rain forest and the arctic. In each area they would see not only the plant life that grew there, but they would see some species that called the areas home.<p>

The Montreal Insectarium, which was the largest insectarium in North America, featured exhibits with insects from all over the world. Both alive and dead. Elizabeth wasn't exactly looking forward to being surrounded by creepy crawlies but she was going to keep an open mind.

The Montreal Botanical Gardens, was the place they would probably spend the least amount of time. Not only because a good portion of it was outdoors, and today was cold, but because when it came to flowers nothing topped Lila's garden. The museum did have an extensive butterfly exhibit that she knew she would enjoy, because she had loved that activity when they were on the island. Their timing was great because Butterflies go Free had just opened for the season last week.

She planned on them ending their morning at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, which replaced the Montreal Planetarium in April of 2013. Of the four educational centers this was the one Jason would enjoy the most, so Elizabeth was going to make sure they saw every single exhibit. While he didn't spend time star gazing, Jason did enjoy watching programs on the science channel that delved into our solar system and what might lie beyond.

"Where do you want to start?" Jason asked after getting them passes.

"Insectarium." Liz figured that by the time they headed to lunch her skin would no longer be crawling.

"We don't have to stay very long." He said as they walked over to the building. Bugs didn't really interest him much. "In fact we can skip it you want."

"I want to do the entire Space for Life experience." Liz said linking her arm through his. "Even the bugs."

He just laughed as he held open the door. It was going to be a fun day.

* * *

><p>"Can you zip me up please?" Elizabeth asked Jason as he walked back into their bedroom at the hotel. She was putting in her earrings and once her dress was closed they could head out to the gallery.<p>

"You look stunning." Jason did the requested task and couldn't resist dropping a kiss to the nape of her neck which was exposed because she had swept her hair to the side so it didn't get tangled in the zipper. "I'm glad you packed this dress."

"I've been looking forward to wearing it." Liz turned so he could see the entire outfit. They had been walking home and she saw this dress in a boutique window. The next day she went back and got it because she couldn't get the sleeveless cream and white lace dress out of her mind. Jason had admitted that he almost stopped on the way home to purchase it, so Liz knew it was a winner. "You in that suit is almost more than a girl can take."

"This old thing?" Jason said making her laugh. The truth was the suit was about three years old. It had been sitting in his closet since he bought it. Sonny said the black wool suit was a staple, but Jason never saw himself needing it. Tonight he had paired it with a black shirt for a monochromatic look that complimented his wife's dress to perfection. She was also wearing the ruby earrings he had given her this past Christmas. His girl was going to turn heads when they walked into the gallery.

"How are Nadine and Johnny doing?" Liz asked turning back to the mirror to give herself on last look.

"Tired." Jason knew that was normal. "Nadine was asleep when I called. Her mom is here, and Johnny's mom's plane is due in later tonight." Both moms would be in the city for at least the next month. Johnny was already bracing for a lecture about the fact that he needed to marry Nadine. Not from his girlfriend's mother, but from his.

"Johnny should have just let the message go to voicemail. They both need to rest while they have all the hospital staff helping them." Liz said slipping into her dress coat.

"He won't sleep at the hospital. At least not much." Jason knew that from experience. There was too much activity. When Liz had been in the medical center, and he knew she was going to be okay, there were people coming and going from her room too often for him to really relax. It wasn't until he brought her home that he got more than two hours of sleep in a stretch.

"Did they agree on a name?" Elizabeth wanted to know. Tomorrow she was buying as much stuff for the baby as she could.

"They did." Jason replied linking their fingers as they headed to the car. The gallery was about thirty minutes away. Since the artist they were going to see did sculptures he wouldn't need anything explained to him. He was just hoping that the pieces weren't too odd. He was also prepared to purchase anything that Elizabeth fell in love with.

"Were you going to mention that?" She asked slipping into the backseat of the warm vehicle.

"I was. At some point." He said laughing. "Aiden, the English spelling, Carrig O'Brien." It wasn't surprising that the baby had at least one Celtic name. Johnny's ties to his Irish roots were strong.

"Aiden, that's a great name." Liz was so happy for her friends. "When we get home, if I can get past the grandmothers, then I'm going to start spoiling my newest godson."

"The christening is in two weeks." Jason would once again be in a suit, and he was looking forward to seeing his girl in another pretty outfit. "Johnny said not to let you buy any stuffed animals, but everything else is fine."

"Nadine had that rule in place for the shower, so I already know that. I can't believe the baby is here. Our family has a new member." Liz said on a soft sigh as she leaned against Jason. That would be them someday, maybe even as soon as next year.

"It does." Jason said kissing the top of her head. He was looking forward to when they started their family, it wouldn't be this year but next year might be a good time. When he got back home they would sit down and discuss security for Aiden so that the newest member of their family stayed safe. But that was for when they got home. Now he was out with his girl, celebrating an early Valentine's Day and he wanted to give her his undivided attention. Everything else could wait. "Happy Valentine's Day Elizabeth."

"Happy Valentine's Day to you too Jason." Liz replied smiling, it was going to be a great night.

* * *

><p>Thanks for the reviews!<p> 


	20. Chapter 20

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Liason102 for the edit!

* * *

><p>Spring Fever<p>

Jason reached for a pen and signed his name to the bottom of the thick ledger. Closing the leather book he looked over to where the organization's accountant was waiting. "Everything looks like should."

Bernie just nodded and smiled at his boss. This was a monthly routine, and the books were never off. Skimming funds from mobsters was a one way ticket to the Pine Barrens. "We had a good month." He took the ledger and put it in his briefcase. Then he locked it. This was how the books were transported between the offices and only four people had the code. "Profits were up."

"Which is what we like to see." Jason said with a smile. They had recently expanded their holdings to include Rochester. It was the Don's way of saying they were doing a good job. "How are things with the family?"

"Fantastic." Bernie said grinning. "I'm going to be a granddad." He had been waiting to share this news and now that he could the CPA was telling everyone.

"Congratulations." Jason's smile widened.

"I've been jealous of Benny." The older man said laughing. "He's got three grandchildren to spoil. I enjoy being a great uncle, but I've been waiting to be granddad."

"Make sure we know when the shower is, and when the baby comes so you can get your time off." Jason told his friend. Family leave extended to those in the accounting office, as well as those in Diane's office. They got the same amount as the guys who worked directly for them.

"Thank you." Bernie knew that the request was coming. Benny got it each time his grandchildren were born. "We have a ways yet. My daughter isn't due until after your sister in-law. I've taken up enough of your time. I'll see you next month." Bernie handled all the illegal funds while Benny handled the legal ones, however both accountants always knew what the other was doing.

"I'm sure we'll run into one another before then." Jason stood up when Bernie did.

"More than likely." Bernie said heading out to where his guard was waiting.

Jason had just sat down when Angie stuck her head in the door. "Ritchie needs to talk with you. He just called me and said that he called your cell a couple of times." When her boss was going over the books he turned the device off and she was instructed to hold all calls. Getting distracted could mean having to start over again.

"Thanks." Jason reached for the landline while he turned his phone back on. Ritchie had called three times. The last one, which was tagged important, had come in one minute ago. So Angie wasn't exaggerating when she said the guard had just called. Jason wondered what was up. Ritchie was Elizabeth's guard when she wasn't at school, with it being eleven on a Wednesday he would be doing whatever Cody assigned him. "What's up?" He asked when the guard answered.

"I'm at the doc's office with Liz. She spiked a fever at school and the nurse said she had to leave." Ritchie thought that was kind of funny. He didn't think the school nurse could do that to teachers.

"I'm on my way over." Jason didn't need to be told it was Dr. Brewer's office. That was his and Sonny's, and now Liz's personal physician.

"I told Milo I would call you. I figured both of us trying to reach you would freak you out." The guard wanted to make sure his friend didn't get into trouble.

"Thanks." Jason said standing up again. Ritchie was correct, both of them calling would have made him panic. It would have been too much like the night Elizabeth had been involved in the hit and run. He got calls from three different sources that night, one right on top of the other. "Milo said something is going around the building."

"Liz said the same thing when I picked her up." Ritchie filled his boss in.

Jason was reaching for his computer to turn it off when Angie pushed his hand out of the way. She made shooing motions and he nodded thanks before heading to the door. She would shut everything down and then lock the computer in the safe. This was done at the end of every night. She would also lock the file cabinets and the desk with her set of keys.

"Call me if you leave the office before I get there." Jason instructed before hanging up.

"Sneaking out?" Francis asked with grin. He figured his friend was going to an early lunch.

"Liz is sick. She left work." Jason said calling for the elevator. The steps might be faster, but this exit put him closer to the parking lot.

"I'll drive." Francis said stepping onto the elevator with his boss. Although he didn't look it Jason was rattled. Liz had been in perfect health since she got hit, but they all figured the next time she got sick it would shake Jason. "She call you?"

"No. She called Ritchie from the school medical center. I'm guessing she called Milo next." Jason told himself to hold it together. "Which is procedure."

"That it is." Francis just nodded. The ladies were told to always call their guards first if something went wrong. "Probably the flu, it hit late this year."

Jason just nodded and followed his friend to the car.

* * *

><p>Halfway to the doctor's office Jason got a call telling him to head home. So Francis changed course. "Send out a message if you need anything."<p>

"Ritchie's message said that the doctor's diagnosis was that it's just a virus." Jason was trying not to fidget. They were in the driveway of the house waiting for Liz to arrive, because they got there first.

"Sleep and fluids are the best things for her then. You got any sports drinks in the pantry? Those are good for keeping the electrolytes up." Francis was mostly trying to keep Jason distracted.

"Probably not. There's stock in the freezer. Elizabeth generally keeps a couple of quarts on hand. I can make her some soup." Even though he didn't like it he would cook some for his wife. He was betting there were hundreds of different recipes online.

"I'll send out a message to have one of the runners go to the store." Francis said starting an electronic note. "Let's go in and I'll rummage through the cabinets to see what else you might need." Jason would more than likely just stand in the doorway waiting for Ritchie to pull up.

Jason let them in, and watched as Francis adjusted the thermostat before heading into the kitchen. Early spring had seen some warmer than normal days, so they had turned off the heat, today it was cool enough that Elizabeth had worn a jacket to work.

Jason wanted to kick himself because he had noted she looked a little pink this morning but didn't say anything. They had enjoyed an early morning session of love making and he chalked the extra color up to that. If he could feel temperatures he might have noticed if she was warmer than normal when he kissed her before she left. Next time he would speak up.

"Where are the extra blankets and pillows?" Francis would set up a sick station on the couch.

"I can do that." Jason hadn't meant to make Francis do all the work.

"I got it Jason." Francis told him. "Wait for your wife."

"Thanks." Jason did appreciate what his friend was doing. "Upstairs. Top of the hall linen closet. They are in zip container."

He nodded before moving off.

Alone Jason looked at his watch. It seemed like he had been standing here forever. Which wasn't close to being true. Francis came back down just as the alarm system beeped indicating that the front gate was opening. Jason forced himself to stand still, running out and getting hit by Ritchie would not help the situation. So he didn't move until the large SUV stopped.

Ritchie got out of the car and wasn't surprised that his boss was already opening the passenger door. The report could wait until Liz was settled. She had fallen asleep on the ride to the house and if Jason wasn't here Ritchie would have carried her inside instead of waking her up. He was positive her keys would be in her bag.

"Thanks for the blanket." Jason said standing up with his wife in his arms. She was bundled up.

"You're welcome." Ritchie said following them into the house. He stood in the foyer with Francis while Jason tended to Liz. He would give his report, see if they needed anything, and then scram.

Jason gently put his wife down before removing the blanket from the car. Her shoes went next and then he managed to get her jacket off. She slept through everything. He would need to get one of the first aid kits and grab a thermometer. Covering her with the soft blanket he kissed her forehead before going to where his friends were standing. "Did the doctor say anything other than virus?"

Ritchie handed over an envelope. "I had him write everything down."

Jason read the message. "Rest and fluids. If her fever goes higher call or head over the emergency room." The doctor had written that her current temperature was one hundred and two, plus the time he took it. "If she starts vomiting same instructions. Pain, same instructions. Seizure, same instructions although that last one shouldn't happen."

"Milo asked to be updated. I can do that if you like." Ritchie told his boss.

"Thanks, I appreciate that." Jason told himself to relax. This was just a run of the mill virus. With her working in a school germs were everywhere. Although it would be worse if she worked with younger kids.

"I'll call Sonny and let him know you will be out. That way he'll call me or Johnny if anything needs to be addressed." Francis figured that Sonny would call Jason because he would want to ask about Liz, and no one expected Jason to work from home.

"Thanks. While you are doing that, I'll call her mom." Jason would more than likely call his mom as well. Because Monica would want to know. Between the two moms they would alert everyone else, so visitors might be happening. "Ritchie let me know if you start feeling off."

"I rarely get sick." Ritchie hadn't even come down with the flu this year. "Thanks for the concern though. Call if you need anything."

"I will. Thanks again." Jason appreciated that the guys took such good care of Elizabeth.

Ritchie just grinned and headed out.

"I'll head out as well. I'll have someone drop your car off tonight." Francis was going down his mental checklist. "The supplies should be here shortly. I put your small cooler on the island with some gel packs from the freezer. Put some drinks in it and take it into the living room with you. It just makes things easier."

"That's good advice, thanks." Jason wouldn't have thought of that.

"Kelly works in a hospital. She gets sick more than I do." Francis said grinning. "Try to stay calm, if Liz clues into you being nervous she'll start to worry."

Jason nodded knowing his friend was right. "I'm not prone to panic, and realistically she was bound to get sick at some point. It's just…" His voice trailed off.

"I know." Francis didn't need his friend to finish that sentence. "Make sure you get some rest too. If you get sick give a holler." Although Jason hadn't been sick a single day in all the time that they knew one another.

"Will do." Jason locked up after Francis and made a quick trip upstairs. He would bring down comfortable clothes so when Elizabeth woke up he could help her change.

* * *

><p>He took her temperature and was happy to see that the medicine the doctor gave her at the office was working. One hundred point three was still high, but lower than what it was. Since Elizabeth was still sleeping now was a good time to make his phone calls. A quick scroll through his contacts netted him the number he needed. "Hi mom."<p>

"Jason, this is a pleasant surprise." Carolyn was smiling as she answered. Calls to her were rare. It wasn't by any means a reflection on their relationship, her son in-law simply didn't like talking on the phone. Even his friends had said as much. "What can I do for you?" She generally got right to the point when he did call.

"Elizabeth left work sick." Jason was sitting on the coffee table watching his wife sleep.

"Hold on, Jeff and your parents are both here." Carolyn said switching over to speaker. Their schedules had all lined up so they were having lunch together. It was rare that they could do this, generally it was Carolyn and Monica who had lunch the most often. "Liz is sick."

"Has she seen a doctor?" Monica wanted to know. Today was a paperwork day, so she could run over if necessary.

"Dr. Brewer." Jason told his mother. Speakerphone was not his favorite, but with them all there he could brief them together and get back to Elizabeth faster. "He said it's a virus. She's sleeping right now."

"That's the best thing for her." Jeff nodded even though his son in-law couldn't see him. "She probably picked up what's going around. I've seen my share of patients this week with this bug."

"Students and staff are dropping rapidly at the school. I was hoping Elizabeth would miss it." Jason said reaching over to adjust the blankets. "We won't be at dinner tomorrow night." Which they could guess. This week the family gathering was at the mansion.

"Can I stop by later and have a look?" Jeff wanted to know. He wasn't coming over as a doctor, but as a dad. At the same time he didn't like how she looked he would speak up. That shouldn't be the case though because Jason took stellar care of Lizzie. He would catch it if she needed to be seen again.

"Sure." Jason wouldn't ever turn her parents away. Hopefully everyone wouldn't descend on them all at once.

Like his mother heard him Monica spoke up next. "Your dad and I will stop by tomorrow. Do you need anything?"

"Not at the moment. If that changes I'll let you know." Jason was ready to end the call so he could make the next one.

"Give Liz our best." Alan could hear that his son wanted to go.

"Will do." Jason said before ending the call. Next he called Sonny. "Hey."

"Francis called." Sonny was already home. "I'm making some stuff to send over."

Jason figured Francis would call from his car. That would keep this call short. "I'm waiting for a runner to bring beverages."

"I'll send over some soup for Liz, and some pasta for you. Make sure you take care of yourself too." Sonny reminded Jason. "Liz is going to want to know that you aren't skipping meals." The mob boss was getting out ingredients for the three soups he would make. The meals for Jason would be pulled from the freezer just before the runner arrived. "Don't worry about rushing back." The territory was calm.

"I won't." Jason had no problem pushing business aside to focus on his wife. "I'll call if we need anything." He said before Sonny made the request.

"I'll let you go. Tell Liz we hope she feels better soon." Sonny would let Carly know what was going on when she got home from Michael's visit with Bobbie.

"Yup." Jason said putting the phone down when the call was over. He was fighting the urge to take her temperature again when the security system beeped. Turning on the television he saw one of the company cars at the gate. One call confirmed it was the first of the expected runners so he opened the gate and went to the front door.

* * *

><p>"Jason?" Liz opened her eyes and looking around saw the furniture in her living room. She didn't remember anything after getting into the car with Ritchie once the doctor's visit was over. Considering she fell asleep on the examining room table waiting to be seen that wasn't very surprising.<p>

This morning when she got up she had felt off, but pushed ahead and went to work anyway. By the end of her third period class she knew that had been a mistake. Fortunately today fourth period was her free period and fifth period was lunch, so off to the school's medical center she went. Where she had to queue up behind three students, all of whom looked like they were struggling as well.

The one hundred and one fever was her downfall. Even though she taught in a private school, they followed the same health guidelines as the local public schools. The state of New York had been cracking down on when it was acceptable to stay and when you had to go home. A fever of one hundred or higher was a one way ticket out of the building. As she was heading back to her class to gather her things, and call the main office, the principal walked in looking green around the gills. Good thing spring break was next week, because she was far from the first staff member to be out sick.

Something smelled really good, and she remembered that she had skipped lunch. The fact that she had something of an appetite was a good sign. Hopefully she wasn't going to be down for long. Being sick sucked.

"Jason?" She called out again. Obviously she wasn't home alone, and it never even occurred to her that anyone but her husband would be with her. Ritchie had mentioned calling him, which was why she didn't even bother to try.

"Hey baby." Jason came into the living room from the kitchen where he was warming up soup. He had barely heard her call out.

She gave him a small smile. Quickly the question of just how awful she looked went through her brain, and she chuckled. If she could be vain, then yeah she was going to be fine. Besides he had seen her look worse.

"What's so funny?" He asked sitting next to her hip.

"I was wondering how awful I look. Vanity thy name is Elizabeth." She said attempting to sit up.

"Be still." Jason told her. "Unless you need to go to the bathroom you are staying put."

"You're hot when you get bossy." She said laughing and then frowning. Yeah that hurt. "I feel like I got hit by a truck. Have you taken my temperature recently?"

"It's been about an hour." Jason let her know. He reached over and grabbed the scanner. The first aid kit in the house had the most up to date supplies possible. It even had sutures in case someone needed to be stitched up. "Your parents are going to be stopping by later tonight."

"When are your parents coming over?" Liz wasn't surprised at his statement.

"Tomorrow." Jason looked at the readout. "One hundred point two." She couldn't have any medication for another hour, so hopefully it wouldn't climb higher. "Do you have a headache?"

"I have an everything ache. I'm thirsty." She was also tired. Not sleepy but just low on energy. The cool liquid would feel good going down. Her throat was a little scratchy, but not that sore.

"I have a cooler set up." He grabbed her some juice. "Francis helped me. He drove me home from the office. Sonny sent soup, which is probably burning. Be right back." He said hurrying into the kitchen. The soup was fine so he poured it into the bowl, grabbed a spoon, and then went back to his wife. "I saved the soup." He said smiling. "It needs to cool down."

"What are you having?" Liz asked finishing her drink.

"Sonny sent some pasta for me. I won't skip meals." He loved that she always thought of him.

"Good." Liz handed him the empty bottle. "That was good."

"While the soup is cooling I'll help you get into some pajamas. After dinner you can rest until it's time for more medicine, then you can sleep." Jason had the evening all mapped out. "I'll just hang around in case you need anything."

"I have a feeling that I'm not going to get away with anything." She felt really loved.

"Nope. So don't even waste any energy trying." Jason said before kissing her forehead. Her sitting up talking with him relaxed him. When she was lying there so still it brought up bad memories. "Let's get you changed."

"You just want to see me naked." She said throwing back the covers.

"Always." He said helping her stand before getting up to help her out of her shirt.

* * *

><p>He was standing in the front doorway when his in-laws pulled up. The bell might wake Elizabeth and he didn't want that. The fact that they had a thermal bag wasn't too surprising. The Webbers seem like the type of parents that would bring something to a sick child. Not to knock his own parents, it was just not what they did.<p>

"How is our girl?" Carolyn asked as she walked past Jason.

"Sleeping. Her fever is down again." He said locking up.

Jeff was nodding. "No one spikes a fever like my baby girl."

Jason just looked confused at that comment.

"When you are a parent of multiple children you will hear a lot, a lot, that each child is different. Nothing hammers that home like illness." Carolyn explained what her husband meant. "Our three children were totally different when it came to being sick."

"Steven was our snot monster." Jeff said grinning.

Carolyn had to laugh. "You wouldn't think that a small body could hold that much phlegm. We kept tissue companies in business. Then the post nasal drip would start once the cold passed. He also tended to stay sick the longest."

"Then there was Sarah, who we called the pukeinator." Jeff remembered fondly. "The slightest bit of sickness and everything came back up. If she was sick for more than four days, which was thankfully rare, we knew we were going to end up in the ER with her hooked up to a saline drip."

"Liz was our fevergirl." Carolyn took up the narrative. "She didn't stick to the low end of the spectrum either. No, like in all the other parts of her life she was an overachiever. She would go from a normal resting body temperature, right to one hundred and three. The first time she spiked a one hundred and four fever I thought for sure she was going to end up in ICU. Audrey had to keep me from falling apart."

"Our Lizziebug always bounced back the fastest though. Usually she was down for about two days, asleep almost the entire time, then she was up and raring to go." Jeff finished up the history lesson.

"One thing Liz always liked when she wasn't feeling well was ice cream. So we stopped off and got some pints. Chocolate for her, and mint for you." Carolyn handed over the bag she carried inside. "There's only one for you because you aren't much into sweets."

"Thanks." Jason would put them away. "When she wakes up I'll see if she wants some."

"Try to get it in her. It helps cool her down." Jeff told his son in-law. There was no scientific proof of that, but this one an instance where the parent overruled the doctor.

"We'll go in and kiss on her a bit, and then get out of your hair." Carolyn told Jason. "Your parents are coming over tomorrow, which you know. Steven the day after that. Sarah will not be coming, but she will Skype at some point." Carolyn gave him the full visiting schedule. Emily and Dante were out of town and no one was going to call them. There was no need to worry them for just a virus.

"Give a call if you need a break." Jeff said as he wife walked into the front room.

"I'll be fine." Jason wasn't going anywhere. "But thanks."

"Let me go kiss on my baby girl." Jeff knew his daughter was in good hands.

"I'll be right in." Jason felt good knowing they had family on hand if necessary.

* * *

><p>His in-laws prediction of lots of sleeping came true. For the past two days his girl slept for more hours than she was awake. He hovered while watching movies on the streaming service. He kept her medicated and hydrated while answering text message from their friends and family members about how Elizabeth was feeling.<p>

Since his wife was sleeping he decided to go get the mail. This had been his only daily trip out since she came home sick. Normally he would walk down the drive to the mailbox, today he hopped in the car. It was just faster. He parked on the inside of the gate and walked over to the iron mailbox. They didn't actually get anything delivered directly to the house. A runner emptied out their P.O. Box every day and brought the contents out.

Since they might not be home when the mail came, an iron mailbox had been built into one of the brick posts that framed the gate. It was two sided so that the runner could unlock it, put in the mail and lock it back from the outside. Jason would open the second side and grab whatever was inside locking it behind him. If he didn't lock up behind himself then the front couldn't be opened, and vice versa. No one was shooting Jason through the mailbox.

There was a package for Elizabeth. A large square box, which meant the runner would have needed to make another stop before coming to the house. All boxes got scanned. Sonny's mail went through the same treatment, which was why Carly said she stopped shopping online. When his girl woke up he would see if she wanted to open it.

Back in the house he put the mail on the table in the foyer and walked into the front room. The empty front room. Looking over he saw Elizabeth standing by the sink in the kitchen, and his first thought was that she was throwing up. "Babe."

"Hi." Liz turned to face him.

"What's wrong?" He asked, she was sweating. He was worried that her fever had gotten worse. The last check it was at one hundred and one.

"My fever broke." Liz explained what was happening. "I'm going to need to change my clothes so I don't get cold." Her shirt was drenched, and the chills was the last thing she wanted. "While I'm upstairs a shower would feel wonderful." She had only been freshening up in the downstairs bedroom bathroom.

"Stay put." He said going into the living room and grabbing the thermometer. Doing a quick scan he looked at the numbers. Ninety eight point eight which was her normal body temperature. He had to smile because he hadn't seen that number in days. "I'll take you upstairs, and bring you back to the sofa. Just because your fever broke doesn't mean you should be running up and down the stairs. You still need to take it easy."

Arguing would be pointless, so she didn't even bother. Today was the last day of school before the break so it wasn't like she need to rush back to work. He would spend the rest of the weekend pampering her, and to keep his blood pressure level she would let him. "Okay." She could do some work while on the couch.

He picked her up and took her to their bedroom. They hadn't slept up here in a few days, but if the fever stayed gone then tonight they would. He sat her on the vanity before pushing the button beside her name on the automatic shower system. When he turned back she was peeling off clothes. Her skin was no longer flushed which made him believe they were past the worst of the virus.

From the vanity she watched him strip down as well. That he would want to get in the shower with her wasn't surprising. She was going to do her best not to pout about the fact that she couldn't do anything about it. That showed she really was feeling better. Sex hadn't even been a blip on her radar the past few days. Even though she could get down on her own Elizabeth waited for her husband to come assist her. Stepping under the water she let out a sigh. "That feels wonderful."

Jason reached for her body wash and filled up his palm. He didn't want her on her feet for too long. Car stats rolled through his brain to keep his body in check, but that didn't stop the pleasure he felt from having his hands on her soft skin. "Step back so I can wash your hair."

"Hmm." She hummed at the scalp massage he gave her. This was delicious torture, but acting on it wouldn't happen. She was already starting to feel sleepy again.

"Rinse off." Jason instructed, turning off the water when she was soap free. He stepped out of the glass enclosure, wrapped a towel around his hips, and then grabbed one for Elizabeth. "Come here." Once she was covered he took another towel and gently dried her. "Pajamas, and then back downstairs for something to eat."

"I think I want to nap first. Since I'm feeling better, would you lie down with me?" She missed being in his arms.

"Some snuggling sounds perfect. I've missed having you close." Jason kissed her softly.

"Can I have one of your shirts?" Liz wanted to know.

"Absolutely." Jason linked their fingers and led her back into the bedroom.

* * *

><p>"That soup was amazing." Liz said putting down her spoon. "I'm going to have to get that recipe from Sonny. When I feel better I'll make him some brownies to say thank you. Ritchie too. Have you checked in with him? He didn't get sick did he?"<p>

"He's fine." Jason knew she was going to ask. So he made sure to have the answer. "What would you like to drink?"

"Orange juice please." Liz knew that it was still important to keep the fluids going.

"Be right back." Jason took the dishes into the kitchen and came back with beverages for them both. "You got a package. It's in the hall." He told her before going to get it.

"It's from the publishing company." Liz said looking up at him. "Come sit with me." She wanted him next to her while she opened the sealed package. "I'm guessing it's the first copy of my book."

"I'm so proud of you. Not only for writing this book, but for being brave enough to share it." Jason placed a kiss on her temple. Reaching over he grabbed a few tissues because knowing his wife she was going to cry. That she would be emotional was understandable, this was a huge moment for her.

"I'm nervous." Liz said on a small laugh. "I mean I know what it's going to look like. I approved all the interior artwork and the covers." Her illustrator was amazing. Under his pen all of her characters had come to life. At some point she would like to meet him, but it wouldn't happen before the book was released. "My hands are shaking."

"Take your time." He rubbed his thumb over the back of her neck, she was trembling.

Liz took a deep breath, held it, and then slowly released it. She ripped the cardboard and removed the bubble wrapped hardcover book. Through the protective covering she could see the bright colors that she and the illustrator picked. Her hands were shaking harder and her eyes were already stinging as she removed the last barrier between her and the actual book. "It's my book." She said softly lightly moving her fingers over the characters on the front cover.

"Yeah." Jason said in a voice just as soft as hers.

Opening the cover she saw the dedication. Thanking Jason for his unconditional love and support. Thanking her parents for encouraging her to follow her dreams. The final line thanked her sister and brother for always believing in her. She flipped that page and the story began. She read each word, and looked over each illustration until she turned the final page. In all there were thirty-two pages, but the actual story with pictures was twenty-six pages long. Her publisher stated that was just about the perfect length for a children's story.

Jason held out the tissues so she could clean her face. "Congratulations. When you feel better we'll go out and have an official celebration. One just us, and one where you can share your news with the family. You can decide which order they are in." Whatever she wants she would get.

"I'd like to celebrate with the family now, and then we can celebrate the day the book is released. I'd like that moment to be marked by just the two of us." They had agreed to an early April release. However right after Valentine's Day her illustrator's father passed away. She didn't hesitate to agree to push the date back to early May.

"You got it. Make a guest list." Jason would do the actual work of planning the party. Only for his lovely, and talented wife would he do so.

Liz just grinned. "It won't be that big. I was thinking a bar-be-que here at the house. For our celebration we can just make a reservation." She opened the book again and looked at the bottom of the dedication page. She had forgotten to check this the first time around. In bold print it stated that one hundred percent of the profits from this book were going to the Angel Flight program. Each book would champion a different charity, because she didn't need the money.

"I can handle a bar-be-que." That she would pick something so low key was not at all surprising. "We'll make it a potluck because everyone will want to bring something." It was just how the crew was.

"I'm holding my first book, and work has already started on getting my second book published." Liz said lightly touching the front cover again. Her illustrator was expected to submit sketches soon. The publishing house wanted the second book out in time for Christmas. No matter what the first three books would be released. What happened after that depended on the sales.

"This time next year we'll be waiting on your third book to come out." Jason said smiling. He knew that she had finished writing the seventh book in the series last week.

"If this book does well, then I think I will serve notice at the end of the year." Liz had been thinking on this for a while now. "I'd like to be a full time writer. I might even try my hand at writing a novel for adults." She had lots of ideas bouncing around in her head.

"When this book does well, that might be for the best." Jason didn't think children book authors had stalkers, but there was no denying that she would be in the public eye. Security wise it would just be better to not have her in such an open environment. If Elizabeth wanted to stay they would make it work, but he really would prefer she leave.

Her smile widened at his choice of words. No matter what his faith in her never wavered. Not ever. She already made him promise not to go out and buy a bunch of the books. If success came, she wanted it to be because the book earned it. "I'm living my dream. That isn't something that everyone can say. I'm a published author and I have the best guy in the world." None of this would be as special without Jason to share it with. Liz leaned against him, and to herself she thought that the only thing that she still wanted but didn't have was a child of their own. A little boy or girl that she could read her books to. They were almost ready.

"I'm living my dream too." He wanted her to know. He urged her closer thinking that in a few years he would more than likely be reading his wife's book to their child. That was down the road though. At the moment his life was as perfect as it could be.

She stood the book up on the coffee table. "Lie down with me. I'm tired."

Jason didn't say anything. He moved the packing materials and stretched out. When Elizabeth was snuggled close he covered them both with the blanket. On the table her book was right where they both could see it.

* * *

><p>Thanks for the reviews, the follows, and the favorites!<p> 


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